University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, December 6
Williams Arena
2:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Drake
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Welcome Drake to Williams Arena Sunday
12/4/2020 4:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS --Â Minnesota women's basketball plays its second and final non-conference game of the regular season Sunday afternoon when it hosts Drake (1-2) at 2 p.m.
The game will be available to view online on BTN+ and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
FACING DRAKE
The game will be available to view online on BTN+ and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• The Golden Gophers are coming off a 72-68 win over Eastern Illinois Wednesday in their first game of the year. Minnesota is now 29-19 in season-opening games dating back to 1973-74 with wins in 11 of their past 12 season openers and 18 of their last 20 such games. Minnesota is also 41-7 in home openers dating back to 1973-74 with wins in 20 of its last 21 home-opening contests.
• The Golden Gophers are looking to start 2-0 for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
• 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. Rounding out her stat line, Sissoko added a career-high eight rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
• In addition to Sissoko making her Minnesota debut, Grace Cumming (five points, four rebounds), Erin Hedman (four rebounds) and Justice Ross (two points, three rebounds) all made their collegiate debuts.
• Minnesota is coming off a 16-15 season (5-13 in Big Ten play) in which it reached the second round of the Big Ten Tournament in Lindsay Whalen's second season as head coach. The Gophers started the year 9-1, its fourth best 10-game start, while its 11-1 beginning was its fifth best one-loss start.
• The Golden Gophers return four letterwinners from last season's squad, including three of their top five scorers in sophomore Jasmine Powell (12.1, 2nd), senior Gadiva Hubbard (11.2, 4th) and sophomore Sara Scalia (10.8, 5th). All three earned All-Big Ten honors a year ago as Powell was a consensus pick for both All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while Hubbard was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honoree by the media, as was Scalia, who also earned a place on the media's Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
• The Golden Gophers are looking to start 2-0 for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
• 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. Rounding out her stat line, Sissoko added a career-high eight rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
• In addition to Sissoko making her Minnesota debut, Grace Cumming (five points, four rebounds), Erin Hedman (four rebounds) and Justice Ross (two points, three rebounds) all made their collegiate debuts.
• Minnesota is coming off a 16-15 season (5-13 in Big Ten play) in which it reached the second round of the Big Ten Tournament in Lindsay Whalen's second season as head coach. The Gophers started the year 9-1, its fourth best 10-game start, while its 11-1 beginning was its fifth best one-loss start.
• The Golden Gophers return four letterwinners from last season's squad, including three of their top five scorers in sophomore Jasmine Powell (12.1, 2nd), senior Gadiva Hubbard (11.2, 4th) and sophomore Sara Scalia (10.8, 5th). All three earned All-Big Ten honors a year ago as Powell was a consensus pick for both All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while Hubbard was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honoree by the media, as was Scalia, who also earned a place on the media's Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
FACING DRAKE
• Minnesota and Drake are meeting for the 15th time on Sunday. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 8-6, but 12 of the previous 14 meetings were played prior to 1989.
• The last two meetings came in 2003 and 2004. Current Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen was a senior in the '03 matchup, while current assistant Kelly Curry was a sophomore in the latest meeting. Whalen scored 14 points to go with four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 73-50 win at Drake, while Curry recorded 15 points in a 74-57 victory at Williams Arena.
• The Golden Gophers are 6-1 at home against Drake.
• The Bulldogs are 1-2 to start the season, opening with a 75-62 win at Creighton but followed by losses at Green Bay, 69-61, and at home against Iowa, 103-97.
• Grace Berg leads Drake by averaging 20.0 points per contest, while Maddie Monahan (17.3) and Kierra Collier (15.7) are also in double figures. The team's top rebounder is Monica Burich at 7.0 boards per contest.
• As a team, Drake ranks fourth nationally in assists (66), ninth in 3-pointers made and attempted (28-88) and 10th in assists per game (22.0)
 • Collier is second in the country with her 21 assists and 11th with her 7.0 assists per game and 11 3-pointers made, while Berg ranks 12th in the country in field goals made (26) and 18th in field goals attempted (49).
• Drake has three Minnesotans on its roster: Burich (Roseville, Roseville HS), Monahan (Silver Lake, Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) and Taylor McAulay (Lino Lakes, Centennial HS).
• Minnesota has two Iowa natives, both of whom are from Des Moines. Grace Cumming attended Des Moines Roosevelt, while Justice Ross went to Des Moines East.
LAST TIME OUT
• The last two meetings came in 2003 and 2004. Current Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen was a senior in the '03 matchup, while current assistant Kelly Curry was a sophomore in the latest meeting. Whalen scored 14 points to go with four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 73-50 win at Drake, while Curry recorded 15 points in a 74-57 victory at Williams Arena.
• The Golden Gophers are 6-1 at home against Drake.
• The Bulldogs are 1-2 to start the season, opening with a 75-62 win at Creighton but followed by losses at Green Bay, 69-61, and at home against Iowa, 103-97.
• Grace Berg leads Drake by averaging 20.0 points per contest, while Maddie Monahan (17.3) and Kierra Collier (15.7) are also in double figures. The team's top rebounder is Monica Burich at 7.0 boards per contest.
• As a team, Drake ranks fourth nationally in assists (66), ninth in 3-pointers made and attempted (28-88) and 10th in assists per game (22.0)
 • Collier is second in the country with her 21 assists and 11th with her 7.0 assists per game and 11 3-pointers made, while Berg ranks 12th in the country in field goals made (26) and 18th in field goals attempted (49).
• Drake has three Minnesotans on its roster: Burich (Roseville, Roseville HS), Monahan (Silver Lake, Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) and Taylor McAulay (Lino Lakes, Centennial HS).
• Minnesota has two Iowa natives, both of whom are from Des Moines. Grace Cumming attended Des Moines Roosevelt, while Justice Ross went to Des Moines East.
LAST TIME OUT
• Kadi Sissoko and Jasmine Powell each scored over 20 points, and Minnesota used a strong third quarter to open the 2020-21 season with a 72-68 victory over Eastern Illinois Wednesday afternoon at Williams Arena.
• Sissoko, who sat out last season after transferring from Syracuse, set career highs in several offensive categories including points (24), field goals made and attempted (9-of-16), free throws made and attempted (5-of-8), rebounds (eight) and minutes played (34) and tied personal bests with two assists and two steals.
• Powell was right behind Sissoko with 21 points, including 7-of-10 at the line. It was her fifth career 20-point outing, and she also tallied eight assists, one off her career high. Fourteen of her 21 points came in the second half, including eight in the decisive third quarter.
• Also reaching double figures for the Gophers was Klarke Sconiers, who posted career bests with both 14 points and eight rebounds. The eight rebounds matched Sissoko for the game high.
• Eastern Illinois led for most of the first half, including up 31-24 with three minutes to go in the first half. Minnesota responded with a 7-0 run, though. The Panthers led 33-31 at halftime but the momentum had swung into the Gophers' favor and they held onto it en route to outscoring EIU 22-13 in the third quarter to take control of the game.
• After a free throw for Eastern Illinois, the Gophers rattled off another 7-0 run, highlighted by a basket from Sconiers that gave Minnesota its first lead at 36-34. Minnesota would not trail the rest of the way, and even had its biggest lead of the contest at 53-44 with 1:36 to play in the third. Eastern Illinois had shot 48.1 percent in the first half, but Minnesota held the Panthers to just 29.4 percent shooting in the third.Â
• Sissoko, who sat out last season after transferring from Syracuse, set career highs in several offensive categories including points (24), field goals made and attempted (9-of-16), free throws made and attempted (5-of-8), rebounds (eight) and minutes played (34) and tied personal bests with two assists and two steals.
• Powell was right behind Sissoko with 21 points, including 7-of-10 at the line. It was her fifth career 20-point outing, and she also tallied eight assists, one off her career high. Fourteen of her 21 points came in the second half, including eight in the decisive third quarter.
• Also reaching double figures for the Gophers was Klarke Sconiers, who posted career bests with both 14 points and eight rebounds. The eight rebounds matched Sissoko for the game high.
• Eastern Illinois led for most of the first half, including up 31-24 with three minutes to go in the first half. Minnesota responded with a 7-0 run, though. The Panthers led 33-31 at halftime but the momentum had swung into the Gophers' favor and they held onto it en route to outscoring EIU 22-13 in the third quarter to take control of the game.
• After a free throw for Eastern Illinois, the Gophers rattled off another 7-0 run, highlighted by a basket from Sconiers that gave Minnesota its first lead at 36-34. Minnesota would not trail the rest of the way, and even had its biggest lead of the contest at 53-44 with 1:36 to play in the third. Eastern Illinois had shot 48.1 percent in the first half, but Minnesota held the Panthers to just 29.4 percent shooting in the third.Â
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