Gophers Welcome Milwaukee For Wednesday Morning Matchup

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota (6-5, 1-1 B1G) is set for its second game of a three-game home stand on Wednesday morning against UW-Milwaukee (3-6, 1-1 Horizon) at Williams Arena at 11 a.m.. The game, which serves as the Gophers' 'Field Trip Game', can be seen on B1G+ and can be heard on the iHeartRadio app or on KFAN+ with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on the call.

ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE GAME

Minnesota's game with Milwaukee is the fifth time the two programs have met in history with the last contest coming in 2019 when Minnesota won 77-61 at home. No current Gophers have played against the Milwaukee Panthers. The Gophers hold an overall record of 26-9 all-time against teams from the current Horizon League.
Minnesota is 3-1 all time against the Panthers of Milwaukee. The only loss coming 1997, before the Gophers played in Williams Arena.
The Panthers enter Wednesday's matchup losers in each of their last two games, including their first road conference matchup against IUPUI. Milwaukee has faced one Big Ten team this season in Wisconsin, losing to the Badgers 58-49 in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee defeated Green Bay in the team's Horizon League opener at home 59-52. In the preseason poll the Panthers were selected to finish fifth.
Megan Walstad was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team. She led the team and was among the league's leaders in points per game (14.4), rebounds per game (9.1), field goal percentage (48.8), free throw percentage (88.9), and blocks per game (1.5). Walstad was also named to the All-Defensive Team for the second straight year.
Milwaukee signed Wisconsin's Miss Basketball in Kamy Peppler. The true freshman started the first six games this season, but has since moved to the bench in the last three. This season she is averaging 3.3 points per game and is shooting 18.2 percent from the floor.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Last time out the Maroon and Gold defeated Chicago State (0-12) by a score of 105-54 on Monday, December 12. In the 51-point win the Gophers had five reach double figures, including two players off the bench. The team shot a season-high 48.6 percent from the floor and posted a Lindsay Whalen-era high 64 rebounds and had 22 assists on 36 makes. Mallory Heyer led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
Mallory Heyer has continued to improve throughout the early portion of the season, highlighted by her last four contests where the Chaska, Minn., native has averaged 8.0 rebounds per game. In that span Heyer has scored 15.5 ppg and has shot 23-of-41 (56.1 percent) from the floor and a stellar 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from beyond the arc.
Minnesota's current starting lineup of Braun, Battle, Heyer, Katie Borowicz and Alanna 'Rose' Micheaux, is an average age of 19 years and 4 months. The group consists of three true freshmen, one redshirt sophomore and one sophomore with the group's first three games against Power 5 opponents. Minnesota is the only Big Ten team to start four freshmen in a game this season (Wisconsin is the only other team to start three). The only other team to start four freshmen in the nation is Navy.
Through 10 games this season Minnesota continues to prove itself a quality team on the boards with an average rate of 44.9 per game as a team which is No. 1 in the Big Ten conference and No. 19 in the nation. The team has been one of the best on the offensive glass at 14.3 per game, No. 2 in the Big Ten. Minnesota's perimeter defense has also been solid, ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten at 29.0 percent.
Maggie Czinano has stepped up her game off the bench in the last two games. The sophomore has averaged 7.0 ppg and 7.5 rebounds per game against Iowa and Chicago State all while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Czinano has also had zero turnovers in a total of 29.5 minutes in those two contests.
Through 10 games this season Minnesota continues to prove itself a quality team on the boards with an average rate of 43.0 per game as a team which is No. 2 in the Big Ten conference and No. 33 in the nation. The team has been one of the best on the offensive glass at 13.8 per game, No. 3 in the Big Ten. Minnesota's perimeter defense has also been solid, ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten at 29.3 percent.
The Gophers set a number of incredible statistical feats against Chicago State on Monday night. The 51-point win was the fifth-largest in program history. The 105 points were the most under head coach Lindsay Whalen. Minnesota's 64 total rebounds is tied for the fifth-most in school history and the most since 2016. The Gophers 22 assists are the second most since Lindsay Whalen has been head coach, just one behind the most set in 2019.
Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen announced the addition of five student-athletes on Nov. 16, that have signed National Letters of Intent or an Acceptance of Admission to join the Minnesota women's basketball program for the 2023-24 season. Signing NLIs with the Golden Gophers are Kennedy Klick, MyKynnlie Dalan, Ajok Madol and Dominika Paurová while Brynn Senden signed an Acceptance of Admission.

BY THE NUMBERS
6 - Six of Minnesota's 10 games this season have been decided by six points or less.
85 - In seven home games this season the Gophers are averaging nearly 85 points per game (84.9).
1 - True freshman Amaya Battle leads all Big Ten freshmen in assists per game at 4.9.
10 - Mara Braun has made at least one 3-pointer in every game she has played in this season.
31 - Minnesota this season is 31st in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 79.1 points per game as a team.

The University of Minnesota takes a week off before wrapping up its three-game homestand at Williams Arena against Eastern Illinois (7-2). The game is scheduled for Dec. 22, at 3:30 p.m., and will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard on the iHeartRadio app or on KFAN+.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the 2022-23 season.

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Players Mentioned

Amaya Battle

Katie Borowicz

Mara Braun

Maggie Czinano

Mallory Heyer