Gophers Return Home to Host Penn State Sunday

MINNEAPOLIS -- After two straight games on the road, Minnesota (2-5, 1-4 B1G) women's basketball is back home Sunday against Penn State (3-5, 0-4) at 4 p.m.

The game, which is the first of two matchups between the schools this year, will be available to stream on BTN Plus and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.

THE OPENING TIP-OFF

• Jasmine Powell leads the Gophers with a scoring average of 16.4 points per game this season. She has scored at least 11 points in each of the last nine games dating to last season. In addition to her scoring prowess, which ranks 16th in the Big Ten, Powell is third in the conference and 13th nationally with her 6.0 assists per game and ranks second in the Big Ten by playing 35.36 minutes per game.

• 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). Coming off back-to-back doubles at Wisconsin and Iowa, Sissoko is second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.1) and is fifth in the conference in rebounding average (7.7). Sissoko and Michigan's Naz Hillmon are the only two B1G players to be averaging at least 14.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

• Sara Scalia has picked up her play over the last two games. After missing the first two games of the season, she averaged 8.0 points over her first three contests of the season and was shooting 23.5 percent from the floor (8-34) and 20 percent on 3-pointers (4-20). However, she has averaged 14.5 points over the last two contests, including a season-high 18 points at Iowa Wednesday, while shooting 38.5 percent on field goals (10-28) and 38.9 percent on 3's (7-18).

• After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, Laura Bagwell Katalinich has found her groove with the Gophers and is averaging 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in four games played this year, including 10.0 points and 4.3 rebounds over her last three contests. A graduate transfer from Cornell, Bagwell Katalinich averaged 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game in two seasons for the Big Red, shooting 45.6 percent from the floor and 79.9 percent on free throws.

• The Gophers are 1-3 at home this season. Powell is the team's leading scorer so far at Williams Arena at 17.8 points per game, while Sissoko (13.0), Gadiva Hubbard (11.5) and Bagwell Katalinich (10.0) are also in double figures. Sissoko is the team's top rebounder at home with 6.3 boards per game.

• Like in their home games, the Gophers have four players averaging double figures in Big Ten play with Powell leading the way at 14.4 points per game. Sissoko is behind her at 13.2, while Hubbard (11.2) and Sara Scalia (10.6) are also in the club. me. Sissoko is also the team's top rebounder in league play at 7.4 rebounds per contest.

FACING PENN STATE

• Minnesota and Penn State meet for the 50th time on Sunday. The Lady Lions hold a 28-21 edge in the series, but the Gophers have won six straight and nine of the past 10 matchups.

• The current six-game win streak is the second longest active streak for the Gophers against one team behind 11 straight wins vs. Northern Iowa. It's also tied for the Gophers' ninth-longest streak ever against one team.

• During the six-game stretch, Minnesota is winning by an average margin of nearly 20 points (87.5-68.2) and has scored at least 81 points in each of the last five meetings.

• Minnesota is 13-9 all-time at home against Penn State with five straight wins. That's tied for the second longest active home win streak along with North Dakota State. Northern Iowa (6) is the only team Minnesota has beaten at home more consecutive times.

• Penn State head coach Carolyn Kieger is a native of Roseville, Minn., and attended Roseville High School.

• Minnesota freshman Alexia Smith and Penn State freshman Nyam Thornton were high school teammates at Columbus Africentric Early College in Ohio.

• Penn State enters the game 3-5 on the season and 0-4 in Big Ten play. The Lady Lions won their first three games of the season but have since dropped five straight.

• Three players are averaging double figures for Penn State: Kelly Jekot (16.0 points per game), Makenna Marisa (13.8) and Johnasia Cash (11.9). Cash is also the team's leading rebounder at 7.4 boards per game.

• As a team, Penn State ranks third in the Big Ten in opponent 3-point percentage (.253), while Jekot is second in the league in double-doubles (3) and fifth in minutes per game (34.36).

LAST SEASON AGAINST THE LADY LIONS

• Minnesota won both contests against Penn State last season, including a win in the Big Ten Tournament.

• The Golden Gophers rode a hot start to an 81-74 victory at Penn State on Dec. 28.

• Sara Scalia (22) and Destiny Pitts (21) each eclipsed the 20-point mark to lead the Gophers' offense.

• Scalia scored 10 of her 22 points in the first quarter and had 15 in the first half. She set a career high with five 3-pointers made and added four assists and seven rebounds (7).

• Minnesota, which never trailed, outscored the Lady Lions 28-10 in the opening quarter. It was the team's highest scoring opening quarter last season and tied for its third highest overall. The team shot 73 percent from the floor in the frame and held PSU to 18 percent shooting.

• The second quarter was nearly a repeat as the Golden Gophers held a 26-11 edge in the frame to lead 54-21 at halftime. It tied for the most points Minnesota scored in any half a year ago and was the team's largest halftime lead. Minnesota shot 64 percent in the half, while Penn State was limited to 21 percent.

• Penn State climbed back into the game, though, in the third quarter by outscoring Minnesota, 19-8. The lead was 62-40 for Minnesota heading into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Lions kept fighting. They held a 34-19 edge in the frame. Penn State opened the fourth on a 14-5 run before a clutch 3-pointer from Scalia stopped the comeback and preserved the win.

• The teams later met in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. Five Gophers scored in double figures as 11th-seeded Minnesota defeated No. 14 Penn State, 85-65.

• Jasmine Brunson posted a career-high 20 points thanks to a personal best four 3-pointers. Thirteen of Brunson's 20 points came in the second half. She also tied a career high with six assists.

• A trio of Gophers finished with 16 points: Taiye Bello, Gadiva Hubbard and Jasmine Powell, while Masha Adashchyk also reached double figures with 11 points.

• Bello notched her 12th double-double of the season as she added 13 rebounds, while Hubbard's 16 points were highlighted by four made 3-pointers, and Powell added five assists, four rebounds and four steals

• As a team, Minnesota was 11-of-23 from 3-point range, the most 3's made in a game in the team's history at the Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers also set a program record at the tournament with 20 assists.

• The Golden Gophers came out strong as they opened the game on a 16-3 run, however the Lady Lions got back in it later in the quarter thanks to a 9-0 run and Minnesota led 22-19 after one. Penn State then scored seven of the first nine points of the second quarter, taking its first lead at 26-24. Anna Camden hit three 3's in the frame and a 23-15 advantage for PSU led them to a 42-37 lead at halftime.

• The game turned in the Gophers' favor in the third quarter, however, as they outscored the Lady Lions, 30-13. It was the Gophers' highest scoring quarter of the season. Minnesota opened the third quarter on a 16-5 run to turn the 42-37 halftime deficit into a 53-47 lead in just 4:43 of game time. Penn State got back within four at 55-51 but Brunson hit a 3-pointer, Bello scored five straight and Powell added a layup to give Minnesota breathing room thanks to a 10-0 stretch.

• Leading 67-55 through three quarters, Minnesota kept up the pressure in the fourth as it didn't let Penn State get closer than 12 in the final frame.

RECAPPING THE GAME AT IOWA

• Despite a strong first half, Minnesota was unable to hang on in a 92-79 setback Wednesday night at Iowa.

• Kadi Sissoko posted a double-double for the second straight game with 20 points and 10 rebounds, which matched her career high. Eleven of her 20 points came in the first quarter, marking the most by a Gopher in any quarter this season.

• Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia each tallied 18 points. Powell, who matched Sissoko's mark by scoring 11 points of her own in the second quarter, tied a season high with seven rebounds and added six assists and three steals, while Scalia notched a season high in points thanks to four 3-pointers.

• The Gophers hit their first five shots and took a 27-19 lead after the first 10 minutes. It tied for the most points they had scored in any quarter this season.

• Leading 24-19 with 1:01 to go in the first, Minnesota went on an 11-0 run that stretched to the 7:14 mark of the second quarter. That put the Gophers up 35-19 for their largest lead of the season.

• Minnesota then led 48-38 at halftime thanks to 53 percent shooting from the field and making 8-of-16 from 3-point range.

• Unfortunately, Iowa outscored Minnesota, 30-13, in the third quarter and led by double digits for most of the fourth quarter.

GOPHERS GAINING EXPERIENCE WITH YOUNG ROSTER

• With 10 of its 13 players either freshmen or sophomores, no team in the Big Ten has a higher percentage of its roster comprised of underclassmen than Minnesota's 76.9 percent. Wisconsin (73.3 percent) is the only other team at 70 percent or higher.

• Through Jan. 7, the Gophers' roster had played a combined 8,841 minutes, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten. For comparison, Purdue leads the conference with a combined 15,550 minutes and Sunday's opponent, Penn State, is fifth at 11,460 minutes.

• Redshirt senior Gadiva Hubbard (3,056) accounts for over a third of the Gophers' career minutes herself. The other two upperclassmen are graduate transfer Laura Bagwell Katalinich (1,587) and junior Kayla Mershon (944). Bagwell Katalinich missed the first three games this season due to injury, while Mershon sat out the first four due to NCAA transfer rules. Those three combine for nearly two-thirds of the Gophers' career minutes (5,587 minutes; 63.2 percent).

• Of the 13 Gophers on the roster this year, six are playing in their first season of collegiate basketball and three are playing in their first year at Minnesota.

• Meanwhile, Gadiva Hubbard (-2.9 minutes per game) and Sara Scalia (-4.4) have seen their playing time stay relatively similar to last year, while Jasmine Powell (+9.3) and Klarke Sconiers (+7.4) have both seen increases in their playing time.

SISSOKO'S SCORING/REBOUNDING THE MOST IMPROVED IN BIG TEN

• Kadi Sissoko has recorded the biggest increases in both scoring average or rebounding average in all of the Big Ten.

• As a freshman at Syracuse in 2018-19, Sissoko averaged 3.2 points per game, but this year her scoring average stands at 14.6 per game. That increase of 11.4 points per game is best in the conference.

• Sissoko is also the most improved rebounder in the league as she has gone from 1.8 rebounds per game as a freshman to 7.7 this year.

GOPHERS ENDURING CHALLENGING START TO SCHEDULE

• Minnesota is 2-5 to start the season and 1-4 in Big Ten play, though the team has started the season against a difficult schedule.

• The six teams the Gophers have played have a combined record of 37-24 (.607), including an 31-13 (.705) mark for the teams against which they've lost.

• The .607 opponent win percentage for Minnesota is the fifth highest among Big Ten teams.

• All four losses within Big Ten play have come against teams currently ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25: No. 19 Indiana (6-3), 22 Northwestern (5-2), No. 23 Michigan State (8-1) and RV Iowa (8-1).

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Masha Adashchyk

Laura Bagwell Katalinich

Kenisha Bell

Taiye Bello

Jasmine Brunson

Gadiva Hubbard

Kayla Mershon

Destiny Pitts

Jasmine Powell

Sara Scalia

Klarke Sconiers

Kadi Sissoko

Alexia Smith