Regular Season Concludes Friday at Illinois

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota (8-11, 7-10 Big Ten) plays its final game of the regular season Friday when it visits Illinois (3-17, 1-16 B1G) at 4 p.m.

The contest, which is the second of two matchups between the teams this season, will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.

THE OPENING TIP-OFF

• The teams will meet 23 days after playing in Minneapolis on Feb. 10. The Gophers prevailed in that matchup, 83-73. More information on that matchup and on the all-time series can be found below.

• Sara Scalia leads the Gophers with a scoring average of 14.7 points per game this season. After missing the first two games of the season due to injury, Scalia averaged 8.0 points over her first three contests and was shooting 23.5 percent from the floor (8-34) and 20 percent on 3-pointers (4-20). However, she has averaged 16.3 points over her last 12 contests while shooting 38.4 percent on field goals (63-164) and 35.8 percent on 3's (38-106). She missed the Jan. 10 contest with Penn State (shoulder) and the Feb. 20 game at Maryland (non-COVID illness) but has scored at least 11 points in each of her last 12 games, including a career-high 30 against Purdue on Jan. 28. It was the first 30-point game by a Gopher since Dec. of 2018.

• Scalia has made at least one 3-pointer in all 15 games she's played this year, including five games with at least four made and a career-best six vs. the Boilermakers on Jan. 28. She is currently fourth in the Big Ten and 24th nationally with 2.80 made 3-pointers per game. Scalia is also fourth in the conference in 3's attempted (126), fifth in 3's made (42) and sixth in 3-point percentage (.333). Her career mark of .353 from long range ranks 10th in program history.

• Jasmine Powell was injured in the second quarter at Maryland Saturday and missed Minnesota's last game against Nebraska on Feb. 24. She is second on the Gophers with a scoring average of 14.5 points per game this season. She has scored at least 11 points in 17 of the past 20 contests dating to last year. In addition to her scoring prowess, Powell is fourth in the conference and 21st nationally with her 5.4 assists per game. Powell is one of only eight players in the country with her averages of at least 14.5 points and 5.4 assists this year. Other notable players in the group include Iowa's Caitlin Clark (27.1 points, 7.0 assists), UConn's Paige Bueckers (19.8, 6.2), Maryland's Ashley Owusu (18.9, 6.0) and Rutgers' Arella Guirantes (20.9, 5.5).

• Kadi Sissoko is the team's top rebounder (6.6 per game), and she ranks fourth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds per game (3.0) and 15th in rebounding average. Sissoko has recorded two double-doubles this season and has been close to adding to that total in three other games with 8 points and 9 rebounds at Nebraska (1/19), 15 points and 8 boards at Penn State (1/25) and 13 points with 9 rebounds at Ohio State (2/7). She's also recorded three 20-point games, including 20 against Wisconsin on Feb. 14. She has shot 31-of-58 (53.4 percent) on field goals over her last six contests. As a result, that has brought her season shooting average up from .379 to .417.

• The Gophers are 3-5 on the road this season. Sissoko is nearly averaging a double-double away from home with team highs of both 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In fact, her two double-doubles this season both came on the road with 16 points and 10 rebounds against the Badgers and 20 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Hawkeyes. Also averaging double figures for Minnesota on the road are Scalia (13.4), Gadiva Hubbard (11.7) and Powell (11.6).

HOME FINALE VERSUS MICHIGAN CANCELLED

• Minnesota's final home game of the regular season against Michigan scheduled for Feb. 28 in Minneapolis was not played, as mutually agreed upon by both teams due to COVID related issues in the Minnesota program. Due to the limited time remaining in the regular season, this game was canceled and declared a no contest.

• The programs already had the game on Feb. 4 at Michigan postponed due to a two-week shutdown within the Wolverines Athletic Department.

• Should the teams fail to meet in the Big Ten Tournament, it would mark the first time since the 1981-82 season that Minnesota and Michigan did not face off.

FACING ILLINOIS

• Minnesota and Illinois meet for the 69th time on Friday. The Gophers trail in the all-time series 38-30, but have won five of the past seven meetings.

• In Champaign, the Illini lead the all-time series 23-10, though the Gophers have won two of the past three meetings at State Farm Center.

• Illinois has one Minnesotan on its roster in sophomore Solape Amusan from Woodbury and Woodbury HS.

• The Illini are 3-17 on the season and 1-16 in Big Ten play. They snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 54-49 win over Purdue on Feb. 7, but lost to Minnesota in the next contest and have dropped five straight after that.

• Jada Peebles leads the Illini in scoring at 12.0 points per game, while Jeanae Terry joins her in double figures at 10.8 per contest. Terry is also the team's leading rebounder with an average of 7.8 boards per contest.

• Peebles ranks third in the Big Ten in minutes played per game (35.63).

EARLIER THIS SEASON AGAINST THE ILLINI

• Minnesota rode a dominant first half to an 83-73 victory over Illinois on Feb. 10 at Williams Arena.

• Sara Scalia led the way in scoring with a team-high 20 points, all of which came in the second half. After going 0-6 from the floor and 0-4 from 3-point range through the first and second quarters, Scalia was 6-11 on field goals, including 3-5 on 3-pointers.

• Also in double figures were Jasmine Powell (17) and Kadi Sissoko (16). Each player had six rebounds to tie for the team lead, while Powell added seven assists.

• Minnesota dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Illini, 24-8. It remains the fewest points allowed by the Gophers in any quarter this season and the 16-point edge in the quarter matched the fourth quarter at Penn State for the largest margin this season.

• Minnesota scored the first nine points of the contest and was up 18-5 with just under four minutes remaining in the opening period. The Gophers were 9-17 shooting, while the Illini were just 3-17.

• The second quarter was more of the same as the Gophers opened the frame on 14-4 spurt to make it 38-12 with 6:54 to play in the first half. Illinois worked its way back into the contest with a 13-2 run late in the quarter, but a basket and free throw by Sissoko in the final seconds put Minnesota up 43-25 at halftime.

• For Minnesota, the 18-point edge was its largest halftime lead of the season, while Illinois had the lowest point total for any opponent in a half this year.

• The Gophers kept up their hot shooting in the third quarter as Scalia got going. After the teams traded baskets to open the second half, Scalia hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Powell added one of her own.

• Scalia then made a third straight triple and the lead was Minnesota's largest of the entire season at 57-28 with 6:38 to play in the third.

• Illinois shaved 11 points off that score, though, and the lead was 64-46 for Minnesota entering the fourth. The Illini chipped away in the final frame and found themselves within single digits with 2:21 remaining after a 9-0 run.

• The Illini outscored Minnesota 27-19 in the final stanza but would not get closer than seven points at any time. Minnesota was boosted by a 13-16 performance at the free throw line in the fourth quarter alone. The Gophers, who made their first 13 attempts of the contest, finished 20-23 at the charity stripe.

LAST TIME IN CHAMPAIGN

• Despite four players in double figures, Minnesota was unable to complete a late comeback in a 74-71 on Jan. 12, 2020, at Illinois.

• Sara Scalia and Jasmine Powell were the top scorers for Minnesota, while Jasmine Brunson and Gadiva Hubbard also reached double figures.

• Scalia busted out for 16 points thanks to three 3-pointers and added seven rebounds, while Powell scored 15. Brunson contributed with 14 points, and Hubbard's 12 points were aided by a game-high five assists.

• The Illini had their biggest lead of the game at 68-56 with 4:28 to play but the Gophers wouldn't go down without a fight.

• Scalia made a three and Brunson followed with a jumper to cut the lead to seven with 3:20 to go. After a pair of made free throws for Illinois, Hubbard got it to within six on a 3-pointer.

• After the teams traded more free throws, Brunson hit a 3-pointer in the corner, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and fed Powell for a layup to get Minnesota within one at 72-71 with 1:11 to play.

• Unfortunately, the inbounds pass on the Gophers' next possession was stolen and a pair of free throws pushed the Illini lead back to three at 74-71 with 11 seconds to go. Minnesota had a chance to tie it up but Powell's 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the rim.

RECAPPING THE WIN OVER NEBRASKA

• Minnesota got contributions up and down its lineup and used a late defensive stand to shut down Nebraska in a 73-63 win on Feb. 24 at Williams Arena.

• With starting point guard Jasmine Powell out for the game with an injury suffered at Maryland Saturday, four Gophers reached double figures as they recorded their first-ever three-game win streak over the Cornhuskers.

• Gadiva Hubbard tied for the team lead with 14 points with 11 coming in the second half alone. She was matched by Klarke Sconiers, who equaled a career high with her 14 points off the bench. Playing less than 11 minutes, Sconiers did all of her scoring between the second and third quarters.

• Sara Scalia shouldered more of the point guard duties with Powell out and responded with a stat line of 11 points, a career-high eight assists, a season-best seven rebounds, three steals and zero turnovers. She was also a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line, setting a personal best for makes in a game.

• Battling foul trouble, Kadi Sissoko posted 10 points and six rebounds. She was limited to 7:18 of playing time through three quarters, but played all 10:00 in the fourth with eight points and four rebounds.

• The game was tied at 62-62 with 3:43 to play, but Minnesota outscored Nebraska 11-1 over the remainder of the game to sweep the regular season series.

• Former Husker Kayla Mershon broke the tie with a layup, while Sissoko pushed the lead to four with a driving layup. A Nebraska free throw with 1:36 to play got it back to a one-possession game but that would be the final points for the Huskers, whose 63 points tied for the fewest by a Gopher opponent this year.

• Sissoko answered with a layup to make it a five-point game with 1:08 to play, while Hubbard and Scalia each made a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 72-63 with 33 seconds to go.

• In the final 3:43, Nebraska was 0-5 from the floor and 1-2 at the free throw line with two turnovers. Conversely, Minnesota was 3-6 from the field and 5-6 on free throws with just one turnover in that same span.

POWELL, GOPHERS IMPROVING FROM LONG RANGE

• Jasmine Powell has improved her 3-point shooting between the first two years of her career.

• As a freshman, Powell was 30-of-100 on 3-pointers, shooting 30 percent from long range and making 0.96 3-pointers per contest over 31 games. But this year in 18 games, she's already 38-of-108 on 3's while shooting 35.2 percent and making 2.11 per game.

• Powell has made at least two 3-pointers in 11 of her 18 contests this year, including nine games with at least three made and three games of a career-high four made 3's. She's made at least three 3-pointers in seven of her last 13 outings.

• This year Powell ranks fifth in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage, sixth in 3's made per game and 3-pointers attempted and seventh in 3's made.

• As a team, the Gophers have seen notable improvement in 3-pointers as of late. Through the first eight games, the team was shooting a combined 28.6 percent (57-199) from long range, but in the 11 games since they're shooting 36.4 percent (83-228).

• During the recent stretch, Powell is 18-48 (37.5 percent) on 3's, Gadiva Hubbard is 12-30 (40.0) and Sara Scalia is 31-88 (35.2). In fact, six Gophers have attempted 10 or more 3's in the last 11 games and all six are shooting at least .333 in that span.

• The team ranks fourth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers attempted (427), fifth in 3's made (140) and 3's made per game (7.4), and sixth in 3-pt. percentage (.328).

SISSOKO THE BIG TEN'S MOST IMPROVED SCORER AND REBOUNDER

• Gophers sophomore Kadi Sissoko has recorded the biggest increase in the Big Ten from her last season of competition to this year in rebounding average and the second highest jump in scoring (games through 3/3).

• As a freshman at Syracuse in 2018-19, Sissoko averaged 1.8 points per game. But this year, her rebounding average stands at 6.6. That increase of 4.8 rebounds per game is best in the Big Ten.

• Sissoko is second among the most improved scorers in the league as she has gone from 3.2 points per game as a freshman to 12.7 this year.

GOPHERS EXCELLING AT THE LINE

• One of Minnesota's biggest strengths this year has been the team's performance at the free throw line. The Gophers are 244-327, good for a .746 percentage that ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 51st in the country. It's also currently the eighth best mark in program history.

• Minnesota has been particularly good late in contests, 78.7 percent on free throws in the fourth quarter and 78.4 percent in the fourth quarter and overtime combined this season.

• Minnesota has shot 80 percent or better from the free throw line in six games this season, including three of the last six contests: 13-16 (81.3 percent) against Wisconsin, 20-23 (87.0) against Illinois and 12-15 (80.0) at Ohio State.

• The team's best performance was a 13-14 mark versus Maryland on Jan. 14, a 92.9 percent effort.

• Ten Gophers have attempted at least five free throws this year and seven have percentages at 70 percent or higher. Sara Scalia leads the way at 94.7 percent (36-38), while Gadiva Hubbard is at 90.6 percent (29-32).

BIG TEN RANKINGS

• The Gophers have four players averaging double figures in Big Ten play with Sara Scalia leading the way at 14.7 points per game. Jasmine Powell is behind her at 13.6, while Kadi Sissoko is at 12.1 and Gadiva Hubbard is averaging 10.9 points per game. Sissoko also has a team-best 6.4 rebounds per contest in B1G play.

• In Big Ten play, the Gophers rank fourth in 3's made per game (7.53) and free throw percentage (.749), fifth in assists per game (15.24), sixth in 3-point percentage (.332) and offensive rebounding rate (.319), and seventh in offensive rebounds per game (11.94).

• Powell ranks third in assists per game (5.19), sixth in 3's made per game (2.06) and 12th in free throw percentage (.766).

• Scalia is third in 3's made per game (2.80), fifth in 3-point percentage (.333), 15th in minutes per game (33.61) and 17th in scoring.

• Sissoko sits seventh in offensive rebounds per game (2.71) and 16th in rebounding average.

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Players Mentioned

Jasmine Brunson

Gadiva Hubbard

Kayla Mershon

Jasmine Powell

Sara Scalia

Klarke Sconiers

Kadi Sissoko