Gophers to Host Military Appreciation Game against Chicago State

MINNEAPOLIS - The opening week of the 2023-24 season continues on Sunday, Nov. 12, for the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-0, 0-0 B1G) as Chicago State comes to Williams Arena. The game can be watched on B1G+ with Emma Carpenter and Phoenix Ferrari while the KFAN+ broadcast will feature Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist.

GAME INFORMATION
Stream: B1G+
Tip Time: 1:01 P.M.
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Promotions: Bring in 3 or more canned foods for any game in November and receive a discounted ticket. Join Gopher Women's Basketball as they honor all active duty and veteran service members on November 12th.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO STATE GAME

Minnesota's matchup with Chicago State is the fourth between the two programs. Minnesota defeated Chicago State last season by 51. The 105-54 victory for the Gophers was the fifth-largest win in program history and the largest margin of victory since 2004-05 (52 points).
Chicago State is coming off a 83-48 loss to Detroit Mercy on the road. Chicago State's game with Detroit Mercy was their second in as many nights and Sunday's game with the Gophers will be the team's third in four days, two of those being away from home.
In two games this season sophomore Jacia Cunningham leads the way with an average of 10.0 ppg while fellow sophomore Josie Hill has led the team on the glass with eight per contest while adding five points per game.
Chicago State's history runs back to 1984 when the team played in the NAIA from 1984-86. The women's basketball program joined the ranks of Division I in 1986 and has been there ever since. The team's best season in history was 2010-11, finishing the season 24-11 and 11-1 in the Great West Conference and winning their conference tournament before falling in the WBI semifinals.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit won her first game at Minnesota on Nov. 8, against Long Island University (LIU), 92-57. The 35-point win was the largest margin of victory for Minnesota in a coaching debut in program history. Plitzuweit's debut included a record-breaking performance in the opening quarter, scoring 34 points to set a new program record for points scored in the first quarter in Minnesota basketball history (quarters were introduced to NCAA WBB prior to the 2015-16 season).
The season opener was highlighted by sophomore Mara Braun's 25 points. The Wayzata, Minn., native tied her career high for threes made in a game (5) in the first half. Her 19 first half points helped the Gophers jump out to a 34-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Braun has now made at least one three in 13 straight games.
Minnesota finished the season-opening win with a 54.0 percent clip from the floor, that percentage is the best for the Gophers since Dec. 15, 2021, when the team shot 55.4 percent from the floor against Ohio in a 99-93 victory. The performance against the Sharks is just the second time the Gophers have shot 54 percent or better in any game since 2019 and just the sixth time in the past five years.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced on Oct. 18, that Minnesota's Mara Braun was named as one of 20 candidates for the Cheryl Miller Award for the nation's top small forward. The preseason watch list was determined by a national committee of top college basketball personnel. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to 10. Additionally, the Big Ten Conference announced on Oct. 4, that Braun had been selected to the 2023-24 Preseason All-Big Ten Team, as voted by the league's coaches. Braun is one of just two sophomores to be honored by the conference's coaches, joining Cotie McMahon of Ohio State.
An emotional debut was made by redshirt freshman Niamya Holloway, the Eden Prairie, Minn., native waited 607 days between official basketball games. Holloway overcame a torn ACL and made the most of her debut on Nov. 8, scoring 11 points off the bench, six coming in the fourth quarter, while grabbing six rebounds with five coming on the offensive glass, which was a team-high.
The Nov. 8, season opener was a day for many firsts, especially on the basketball court. Minnesota saw six make their debuts. Of those debuts, Grace Grocholski was the lone freshman to make a start. The Wisconsin product finished with 10 points and filled up the stat sheet with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and the team's lone block.

BY THE NUMBERS
22 - Mara Braun is 22 points away from 500 points in her career, if she reached the mark against Chicago State, she'll be the third-fastest player to reach 500 points at Minnesota (31 games).
1 - The Golden Gophers are tied for the youngest team in the Big Ten with Wisconsin with 10 underclassmen.
5 - Five different players reached double figures in the season-opening win over LIU, including Sophie Hart (11), Niamya Holloway (11) and Grace Grocholski (10) who all made their Gopher debuts.
2024 - The Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., will host both the men's and women's Big Ten Tournament in March of 2024.
14 - Mara Braun scored 14 points in the first quarter of the LIU game, setting a new career high for points scored in the opening quarter for the sophomore guard.

Week two of the 2023-24 season will see the Gophers take on North Dakota State University (1-1, 0-0 Summit) on Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. The matchup with the Bison will continue the team's Canned Food Drive promotion where fans can bring in three canned food items for a discounted ticket.

Fans interested in buying season tickets for Gopher women's basketball this season can find more information at https://z.umn.edu/24sznTix or by calling the Minnesota Ticket Sales Office by phone at 1-800-U-GOPHER or by email at gophersports@umn.edu.

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 (X.com), Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the 2023-24 season.

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Players Mentioned

Mara Braun

Grace Grocholski

Sophie Hart

Niamya Holloway