Gophers Headed to College Park to take on No. 16/17 Maryland

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota (8-5, 1-1 B1G) heads to College Park, Md., to take on No. 16/17 Maryland (10-3, 1-1 B1G) on Friday, Dec. 30. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip and 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 MARYLAND GAME

Minnesota's matchup with Maryland on Friday is the only matchup between the two teams this season. Last season the Gophers faced off against the Terps once, in Minneapolis, and lost 87-73. Minnesota has not won in College Park in six attempts. The only Gophers that have played against Maryland are Katie Borowicz (2 games in 2020-21) and Alanna 'Rose' Micheaux (1 game in 2021-22).
Minnesota is 1-12 all-time against Maryland, the only win coming on Feb. 18, 2018, at home.
Maryland's head coach Brenda Frese coached at Minnesota for one season (2001-02), where she coached Minnesota's current head coach Lindsay Whalen. During that season the Gophers reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round and Whalen averaged career highs of points (22.2), steals (2.7), rebounds (5.5) and field goal percentage (56.1).
The Terps are winners of their last three games, with their last loss coming on Dec. 4, against Nebraska at home. Since then Maryland has taken out Purdue on the road, No. 6 UConn at home and Purdue-Fort Wayne on the road.
Maryland was picked to finish fourth in both the Coaches and Media Big Ten Preseason Poll.
Senior Diamond Miller was the Terps lone preseason All-Big Ten member, the second straight season she has been honored prior to the start of the season in her career. Miller this season has averaged 18.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds while also blocking nearly 2.0 blocks per game.
Maryland also returned the 2022 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year in Shyanne Sellers who has stepped up with an average of 14.2 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and averaging 2.0 assists per game and nearly 2.0 steals per game.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Last time out the Maroon and Gold were victorious over Eastern Illinois in a low-scoring affair, 59-48. The Gophers capped off their non-conference season with a 7-4 record and came from behind against the Panthers to secure the home win. Alanna 'Rose' Micheaux (14) and Mallory Heyer (10) scored in double figures and Amaya Battle scored eight of her nine points in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota overcome an 8-point second half deficit to claim the win.
Minnesota played three games in six days prior to the team's eight days between its last game and Friday's matchup with Maryland. In those three games the Gophers were locked in from beyond the arc, shooting nearly 38 percent compared to the 33.2 percent on the season. Going 3-0 in those six days the Gophers offense was efficient, shooting 43.8 percent (88-of-201) from the floor in those games, up from the team's 41.8 percent on the season. The Gophers current three-game winning streak is tied for the longest since the 2019-20 season when the team won 11 games in a row.
Mallory Heyer has continued to improve throughout the early portion of the season, highlighted by her last six contests where the Chaska, Minn., native has averaged 13.7 ppg and has shot 31-of-57 (54.4 percent) from the floor and a stellar 11-of-25 (44.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Heyer has also taken care of the ball throughout her rookie season, despite being second on the team in minutes played at 31.7 per game, has only averaged 0.9 turnovers. Heyer's positive impact is most felt when the freshman is aggressive with the Gophers record sitting at a perfect 6-0 when she attempts 10 or more shots.
As of Dec. 27, Minnesota's latest starting lineup of Mara Braun, Amaya Battle, Mallory Heyer, Katie Borowicz and Alanna 'Rose' Micheaux, is an average age of 19 years and 4 months and 23 days. The group consists of three true freshmen, one redshirt freshman 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.
Freshman guard Amaya Battle continues to show why she is one of the most versatile young guards in the country with her play. Battle is 16th overall in the Big Ten in rebounding per game (6.2) and is the No. 2 freshman in the conference in rebounding (only behind teammate Mallory Heyer). She's seventh in assists per game in the Big Ten, and is the No. 1 freshman, and is 16th overall in blocks per game (0.8), which is fourth among all freshmen all while averaging 9.9 points per game.
Through 13 games this season Minnesota continues to prove itself a quality team on the boards with an average rate of 43.5 per game as a team which is No. 1 in the Big Ten conference and No. 26 in the nation. The team has been one of the best on the offensive glass at 13.8 per game, No. 2 in the Big Ten. Minnesota's perimeter defense has also been solid, ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten at 28.3 percent.
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
4 - Minnesota is looking for its first four-game winning streak since the 2019-20 season.
2009 - Minnesota is seeking its first road ranked win since March 22, 2009 (at Notre Dame, 79-71).
4 - The Gophers have shot 46.5 percent (99-of-213) from the floor in the fourth quarter this season.
7 - Mallory Heyer has made at least one three in seven consecutive games.
64 - This season Minnesota gets nearly 64 percent (63.5) of its scoring from either freshmen or redshirt freshmen.

The University of Minnesota will ring in the new year with a top five team in Ohio State on Jan. 5. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip at Williams Arena 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

Mallory Heyer