University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 5
Champaign, Ill.
4:00 PM
University of Minnesota
8-12,7-11Big Ten
64
at
72
Illinois
4-17,2-16Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Minnesota
18
17
16
13
64
Illinois
19
16
22
15
72
Gophers End Regular Season with Loss at Illinois
3/5/2021 7:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota women's basketball team (8-12, 7-11 Big Ten) ended the regular season with a 72-64 loss Friday at Illinois (4-17, 2-16 B1G).
Four players reached double figures for the Golden Gophers, who had eight players available for Friday's contest.
Sophomore Sara Scalia led the way with a team-high 12 points and four assists. She has now scored at least 11 points in each of her last 12 games and has made at least two 3-pointers in 11 of those 12 contests (2-6 on 3's against the Illini).
Senior Gadiva Hubbard was one off Scalia's mark with 11 points and added five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
A pair of freshmen each tallied career highs in scoring as Alexia Smith matched Hubbard with 11 points and Grace Cumming tallied 10 points off the bench. The duo also had six rebounds a piece, pacing the team and establishing career highs in the category, as well.
The contest was even over the first two quarters as Illinois held a 19-18 lead after the first quarter, while Minnesota edged out the Illini, 17-16, in the second to send the game to halftime tied at 35-35. There were six lead changes in the first half and five ties, while neither team led by more than four points.
After an Illini basket opened the scoring in the third, Hubbard and Scalia hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Minnesota its largest lead at 41-37 with 8:47 remaining in the quarter.
The lead was 45-44 for Minnesota roughly four minutes later when sophomore Kadi Sissoko, who had nine points, five rebounds and three assists at that point, was injured as she battled for an offensive rebound. She did not return and the momentum seemed to shift toward Illinois.
After Sissoko's injury, Illinois outscored the Gophers, 13-4, over the final 4:42 of the third quarter. The contest was tied 51-51 with 1:59 to play in the third, but the Illini scored the final six points of the frame and ran the run to 9-0 starting the fourth.
Minnesota cut the Illini lead down to seven on three separate occasions, once at 60-53 with 9:02 remaining after a jumper by senior Laura Bagwell Katalinich, again at 64-57 with 4:59 to play after a Hubbard 3-pointer and once more on a layup from Smith with 2:39 to go. They would be as close as the Gophers would get, though.
Illinois was led by 16 points from Eva Rubin, while Jada Peebles had 15. Jeanae Terry nearly logged a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
With the regular season complete, up next for Minnesota is the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Golden Gophers will play in Wednesday's second round, though the bracket will not be confirmed until the completion of all league games Saturday night.
Four players reached double figures for the Golden Gophers, who had eight players available for Friday's contest.
Sophomore Sara Scalia led the way with a team-high 12 points and four assists. She has now scored at least 11 points in each of her last 12 games and has made at least two 3-pointers in 11 of those 12 contests (2-6 on 3's against the Illini).
Senior Gadiva Hubbard was one off Scalia's mark with 11 points and added five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
A pair of freshmen each tallied career highs in scoring as Alexia Smith matched Hubbard with 11 points and Grace Cumming tallied 10 points off the bench. The duo also had six rebounds a piece, pacing the team and establishing career highs in the category, as well.
The contest was even over the first two quarters as Illinois held a 19-18 lead after the first quarter, while Minnesota edged out the Illini, 17-16, in the second to send the game to halftime tied at 35-35. There were six lead changes in the first half and five ties, while neither team led by more than four points.
After an Illini basket opened the scoring in the third, Hubbard and Scalia hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Minnesota its largest lead at 41-37 with 8:47 remaining in the quarter.
The lead was 45-44 for Minnesota roughly four minutes later when sophomore Kadi Sissoko, who had nine points, five rebounds and three assists at that point, was injured as she battled for an offensive rebound. She did not return and the momentum seemed to shift toward Illinois.
After Sissoko's injury, Illinois outscored the Gophers, 13-4, over the final 4:42 of the third quarter. The contest was tied 51-51 with 1:59 to play in the third, but the Illini scored the final six points of the frame and ran the run to 9-0 starting the fourth.
Minnesota cut the Illini lead down to seven on three separate occasions, once at 60-53 with 9:02 remaining after a jumper by senior Laura Bagwell Katalinich, again at 64-57 with 4:59 to play after a Hubbard 3-pointer and once more on a layup from Smith with 2:39 to go. They would be as close as the Gophers would get, though.
Illinois was led by 16 points from Eva Rubin, while Jada Peebles had 15. Jeanae Terry nearly logged a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
With the regular season complete, up next for Minnesota is the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Golden Gophers will play in Wednesday's second round, though the bracket will not be confirmed until the completion of all league games Saturday night.
Team Stats
MINN
Illini
FG%
.423
.469
3FG%
.421
.308
FT%
.667
.727
RB
34
34
TO
13
8
STL
5
4
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
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