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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Head to Northwestern for First Road Contest
12/13/2020 11:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota women's basketball plays its first road game of the season Monday night when it travels to No. 16/17 Northwestern (1-0) at 8 p.m.
The game, which is the only regular season matchup between the schools, will be available to view on Big Ten Network and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
FACING NORTHWESTERN
LAST SEASON AGAINST THE WILDCATS
LAST TIME IN EVANSTON
The game, which is the only regular season matchup between the schools, will be available to view on Big Ten Network and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• Minnesota (1-2) has won seven straight road openers and is 20-27 in such games dating back to 1973-74. During the team's current seven-game streak, the Golden Gophers have outscored opponents by an average of over 14 points per game: 77.1-62.7.
• Within conference play, the Gophers are 12-25 in Big Ten road openers, including wins in two of the last three such contests. Monday will be the sixth time that the first conference road game has sent Minnesota to Northwestern, its most against one school. The Gophers have won the last two such meetings between the schools in 2017-18 and '03-04, while the Wildcats prevailed in '95-96, '90-91 and '86-87. This will be the first time since conference play started in 1982-83 that Minnesota's first road game of the season comes against a Big Ten opponent. It has occurred twice prior to that with road openers at Iowa in 1974 and 1981.
• Jasmine Powell leads the Gophers with a scoring average of 19.7 points per game, including 21 in the opener against EIU and 22 more against Drake. She was the first Gopher since Carlie Wagner in 2016-17 to score at least 20 points in each of the first two games in a season. In addition to her scoring prowess, which is currently seventh in the Big Ten, Powell leads the conference and is sixth nationally in assists per game (7.0).
• In the season opener, Kadi Sissoko scored 24 points in her first game at Minnesota to tie a school record for points a debut (Kenisha Bell vs. VCU, 11/15/16). Her 24 points were also the most in a season opener by a Gopher since Carlie Wagner opened the 2016-17 campaign with 27 points against Harvard. Sissoko ranks fifth in the Big Ten in minutes per game (34.70), sixth in blocked shots per game (1.67) and seventh in total blocked shots (5).
• After scoring six points in the season opener, Gadiva Hubbard has produced consecutive games with 17 points and four 3-pointers made. Only twice last year did she combine for more than 34 points in back-to-back games (38 vs. Bryant (18) and Notre Dame (20); 35 vs. Iowa (18) and Purdue (17)). She's shooting 45.8 percent (11-24) from the floor over the last two games and 50 percent (8-16) from 3-point range.
• Within conference play, the Gophers are 12-25 in Big Ten road openers, including wins in two of the last three such contests. Monday will be the sixth time that the first conference road game has sent Minnesota to Northwestern, its most against one school. The Gophers have won the last two such meetings between the schools in 2017-18 and '03-04, while the Wildcats prevailed in '95-96, '90-91 and '86-87. This will be the first time since conference play started in 1982-83 that Minnesota's first road game of the season comes against a Big Ten opponent. It has occurred twice prior to that with road openers at Iowa in 1974 and 1981.
• Jasmine Powell leads the Gophers with a scoring average of 19.7 points per game, including 21 in the opener against EIU and 22 more against Drake. She was the first Gopher since Carlie Wagner in 2016-17 to score at least 20 points in each of the first two games in a season. In addition to her scoring prowess, which is currently seventh in the Big Ten, Powell leads the conference and is sixth nationally in assists per game (7.0).
• In the season opener, Kadi Sissoko scored 24 points in her first game at Minnesota to tie a school record for points a debut (Kenisha Bell vs. VCU, 11/15/16). Her 24 points were also the most in a season opener by a Gopher since Carlie Wagner opened the 2016-17 campaign with 27 points against Harvard. Sissoko ranks fifth in the Big Ten in minutes per game (34.70), sixth in blocked shots per game (1.67) and seventh in total blocked shots (5).
• After scoring six points in the season opener, Gadiva Hubbard has produced consecutive games with 17 points and four 3-pointers made. Only twice last year did she combine for more than 34 points in back-to-back games (38 vs. Bryant (18) and Notre Dame (20); 35 vs. Iowa (18) and Purdue (17)). She's shooting 45.8 percent (11-24) from the floor over the last two games and 50 percent (8-16) from 3-point range.
FACING NORTHWESTERN
• Minnesota and Northwestern will meet for the 75th time ever on Monday. It's the fourth most-played series for Minnesota behind only Iowa (80), Wisconsin (79) and Ohio State (77).
• The all-time series is tied at 37-37. Minnesota has won six of the last eight in the series, though Northwestern snapped the Gophers' four-game win streak last year.
• In Evanston, the Wildcats hold a 19-15 series lead, but Minnesota has won three straight on Northwestern's home court (by an average score of 87.7-74.3) and five of the past six there.
• The road win streak versus Northwestern is tied for Minnesota's third longest active road win streak against one school behind Wisconsin (7) and Northern Iowa (5).
• In her career, Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen has only lost to Northwestern once, going 5-0 as a player and 2-1 as a coach.
• The defending co-Big Ten regular season champion, Northwestern played its first game of the season on Dec. 10, beating Eastern Illinois 93-57. EIU was also Minnesota's season opening opponent; the Gophers won that game 72-68.
• Veronica Burton led the way with 21 points against the Panthers, while Lindsay Pulliam (18), Sydney Wood (14), Courtney Shaw (13) and Jordan Hamilton (11) also reached double figures. Burton added six assists and five steals, while Wood and Shaw tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.
• Pulliam was tabbed the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year by both the league's coaches and media, and she was a unanimous selection for the preseason teams. Burton joined Pulliam on both teams, as well.
• The all-time series is tied at 37-37. Minnesota has won six of the last eight in the series, though Northwestern snapped the Gophers' four-game win streak last year.
• In Evanston, the Wildcats hold a 19-15 series lead, but Minnesota has won three straight on Northwestern's home court (by an average score of 87.7-74.3) and five of the past six there.
• The road win streak versus Northwestern is tied for Minnesota's third longest active road win streak against one school behind Wisconsin (7) and Northern Iowa (5).
• In her career, Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen has only lost to Northwestern once, going 5-0 as a player and 2-1 as a coach.
• The defending co-Big Ten regular season champion, Northwestern played its first game of the season on Dec. 10, beating Eastern Illinois 93-57. EIU was also Minnesota's season opening opponent; the Gophers won that game 72-68.
• Veronica Burton led the way with 21 points against the Panthers, while Lindsay Pulliam (18), Sydney Wood (14), Courtney Shaw (13) and Jordan Hamilton (11) also reached double figures. Burton added six assists and five steals, while Wood and Shaw tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.
• Pulliam was tabbed the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year by both the league's coaches and media, and she was a unanimous selection for the preseason teams. Burton joined Pulliam on both teams, as well.
LAST SEASON AGAINST THE WILDCATS
• Minnesota saw its four-game win streak against Northwestern come to an end last season as Lindsey Pulliam's layup with less than a second left lifted the Wildcats to a 56-54 win at Williams Arena.
• Trailing by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter, the Golden Gophers got the Wildcats' lead down to 54-51 with 47 seconds to go. After a pair of missed free throws for Northwestern, Minnesota got the ball back and Jasmine Brunson buried a game-tying 3-pointer with just 4.7 seconds remaining.
• The Wildcats used their final timeout to advance the ball into the frontcourt. From there, Abbie Wolf got the inbounds pass and handed it to Veronica Burton. She drove the lane and dished off to Pulliam who laid it in with less than a second on the clock.
• Gadiva Hubbard was the top scorer for Minnesota with 13 points, 10 of which came in the second half. She added six assists and three steals.
• Taiye Bello was one rebound away from a double-double as she had 12 points and nine boards. Foul trouble limited her to just 10 minutes in the first half, but she exploded for eight points and six rebounds with zero fouls in the second half.
• Trailing by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter, the Golden Gophers got the Wildcats' lead down to 54-51 with 47 seconds to go. After a pair of missed free throws for Northwestern, Minnesota got the ball back and Jasmine Brunson buried a game-tying 3-pointer with just 4.7 seconds remaining.
• The Wildcats used their final timeout to advance the ball into the frontcourt. From there, Abbie Wolf got the inbounds pass and handed it to Veronica Burton. She drove the lane and dished off to Pulliam who laid it in with less than a second on the clock.
• Gadiva Hubbard was the top scorer for Minnesota with 13 points, 10 of which came in the second half. She added six assists and three steals.
• Taiye Bello was one rebound away from a double-double as she had 12 points and nine boards. Foul trouble limited her to just 10 minutes in the first half, but she exploded for eight points and six rebounds with zero fouls in the second half.
LAST TIME IN EVANSTON
• Minnesota and Northwestern last met in Evanston on Jan. 31, 2019, with the Gophers prevailing 61-54.
• The win in Evanston was aided by three players scoring at least 14 points as Destiny Pitts led all scorers with 19 points, Kenisha Bell added 17 and Jasmine Brunson posted 14.
• The Gophers forced Northwestern into 19 turnovers, while the defense also forced the Wildcats to just 37.7 percent shooting.
• Leading by two at halftime, Minnesota came out firing in the second half, scoring the first nine points to push the lead to 39-28. The Gophers led 48-37 entering the fourth quarter, but Northwestern slowly chipped away at their lead.
• After a jumper by Brunson put Minnesota ahead 54-43 with 6:13 to go, the Wildcats scored six straight to close the gap to five points with 2:53 to play.
• Pitts provided relief, though, when she knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to stop the run and push the lead back to eight with 2:32 to play. Northwestern fought back, however, to score the next five points to make it a three-point game with 29 seconds to play. Pitts remained clutch down the stretch, though, as she made all four free throw attempts to ice it.
GOPHERS GAINING EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG ROSTER
• The win in Evanston was aided by three players scoring at least 14 points as Destiny Pitts led all scorers with 19 points, Kenisha Bell added 17 and Jasmine Brunson posted 14.
• The Gophers forced Northwestern into 19 turnovers, while the defense also forced the Wildcats to just 37.7 percent shooting.
• Leading by two at halftime, Minnesota came out firing in the second half, scoring the first nine points to push the lead to 39-28. The Gophers led 48-37 entering the fourth quarter, but Northwestern slowly chipped away at their lead.
• After a jumper by Brunson put Minnesota ahead 54-43 with 6:13 to go, the Wildcats scored six straight to close the gap to five points with 2:53 to play.
• Pitts provided relief, though, when she knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to stop the run and push the lead back to eight with 2:32 to play. Northwestern fought back, however, to score the next five points to make it a three-point game with 29 seconds to play. Pitts remained clutch down the stretch, though, as she made all four free throw attempts to ice it.
GOPHERS GAINING EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG ROSTER
• With nine of its 12 players either freshmen or sophomores, no team in the Big Ten has a higher percentage of its roster comprised of underclassmen than Minnesota. Wisconsin (73.3 percent) and Maryland (70) are the only other teams at 70 percent or higher.
• Through Dec. 10, the Gophers' roster had played a combined 8,016 minutes, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten. For comparison, Purdue leads the conference with a combined 14,550 minutes, while Monday's opponent, Northwestern, is seventh with 10,160 minutes.
• Redshirt senior Gadiva Hubbard (2,956) accounts for over a third of the Gophers' career minutes herself, while the other two upperclassmen in graduate transfer Laura Bagwell Katalinich (1,491) and junior Kayla Mershon (872) have not played this year due to injury and sitting out as a transfer, respectively. Those three combine for nearly two-thirds of the Gophers' career minutes (5,319 minutes; 66.3 percent).
• Of the 10 Gophers to play this year, five are playing in their first season of collegiate basketball, while sophomore Klarke Sconiers has increased her playing time from 10.6 minutes per game last year to 22.4 this year and sophomore transfer Kadi Sissoko has jumped from a 9.7 average as a freshman at Syracuse in 2018-19 to 34.7 this year.
• Through Dec. 10, the Gophers' roster had played a combined 8,016 minutes, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten. For comparison, Purdue leads the conference with a combined 14,550 minutes, while Monday's opponent, Northwestern, is seventh with 10,160 minutes.
• Redshirt senior Gadiva Hubbard (2,956) accounts for over a third of the Gophers' career minutes herself, while the other two upperclassmen in graduate transfer Laura Bagwell Katalinich (1,491) and junior Kayla Mershon (872) have not played this year due to injury and sitting out as a transfer, respectively. Those three combine for nearly two-thirds of the Gophers' career minutes (5,319 minutes; 66.3 percent).
• Of the 10 Gophers to play this year, five are playing in their first season of collegiate basketball, while sophomore Klarke Sconiers has increased her playing time from 10.6 minutes per game last year to 22.4 this year and sophomore transfer Kadi Sissoko has jumped from a 9.7 average as a freshman at Syracuse in 2018-19 to 34.7 this year.
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