'U' to Host No. 8/8 UConn on Sunday Afternoon

MINNEAPOLIS - Game four of the 2023-24 season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0, 0-0 B1G) has the No. 8/8 Connecticut Huskies (2-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) traveling to Minneapolis for the first time on Nov. 19. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on FS1 while Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist will broadcast the game on KFAN+.

GAME INFORMATION
TV/Stream: FS1
Tip Time: 4:00 P.M.
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Sirius: Sirius App or Channel 84
Promotions: Students will receive a FREE Gopher Basketball fanny pack while supplies last. Speed painter Jessica Haas will be performing at halftime.

PARKING ADVISORY
Fans who have not obtained a parking pass are encouraged to purchase their parking in advance here. Fans who arrive on Sunday without a parking pass should park in Lot 37, Lot 33 or Maroon, Gold, Ski-U-Mah, or Gopher surface lots east of Huntington Bank Stadium or the Oak Street or Fourth Street Parking Ramps south and west of 3M Arena at Mariucci. More information on ramp closures may be found here. Fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional time when attending Sunday's game.

ABOUT THE CONNECTICUT GAME

Minnesota's matchup with the Huskies is the fourth between the two teams. The last meeting came in the Bahamas at the first Women's Battle 4 Atlantis in 2021-22. UConn holds the advantage in the series, winning all three contests that include the Battle 4 Atlantis, the 2004 Women's Final Four in New Orleans and one lone game in Storrs, Conn., back in 1990.
Connecticut has never played at Williams Arena, but has played at Target Center at the 2022 Women's Final Four where they lost in the National Championship game to South Carolina.
Connecticut comes to the Twin Cities after a Thursday night contest with No. 20/19 Maryland that resulted in a 80-48 win for the Huskies. The team was led by Bueckers who had 24 points, six steals, five rebounds and two blocks. UConn shot 52.5 percent in the game and scored 29 points off of 27 Maryland turnovers.
In three games this season UConn has been paced offensively by Hopkins, Minn., native Paige Bueckers, who averages 19.7 per contest. She is close with Aaliyah Edwards who has averaged 18.7 points per game this season. The Huskies also have shown some impressive defensive skills with KK Arnold averaging 3.0 steals per game while Aubrey Griffin has averaged 1.67 blocks per contest.

GOPHER NOTABLES

The Dawn of a New Era in Dinkytown has been perfect for head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, leading the Maroon and Gold to its first 3-0 start to a season since 2018-19. Plitzuweit picked up victories against LIU, Chicago State and North Dakota State University by an average score of 38.8 points per game which is the No. 9 scoring margin in the NCAA this season and is good enough for the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten.
Minnesota sophomore Mara Braun was honored by the Big Ten on the conference's weekly honor roll for her performances through the first week of the 2023-24 season. The Wayzata, Minn., native dropped 25.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game to help Minnesota pick up wins against LIU and Chicago State. Braun is the only player in the Big Ten so far this season to average 25 points per game, shoot 58 percent or better from the floor, 42 percent or better from three while also averaging 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
The 'U' ran out to one of its fastest starts to the season against the Bison on Nov. 15, scoring the first nine points of the game to help the team never trail in the 22-point victory at home. In three games this season the Maroon and Gold have trailed just once, which was a 3-2 score in the first quarter against Chicago State. Minnesota has outscored its opponents in the first quarter by 46 points (15.3 avg) in the first three games and by 31 (10.3 avg) in the second quarter.
Sophomore Mara Braun earned some well-deserved preseason recognition prior to the start of the 2023-24 season. The second-year Gopher was named to the watch list of the Cheryl Miller Award for the nation's top small forward as well as the Big Ten's 2023-24 Preseason All-Big Ten Team, as voted by the league's coaches. Braun was one of just two sophomores to be honored by the conference's coaches, joining Cotie McMahon of Ohio State.
Minnesota's young squad has continued to grow early in the season with Niamya Holloway being a bright spot off the bench. She followed up her 11-point debut with a five-steal performance against Chicago State and then a 7-point, 5-rebound and 3-steal game in a win over NDSU. Through three games Holloway has posted a team-leading field goal percentage of 76.9 percent and is tied for the team lead in offensive rebounds with six.
Amaya Battle surpassed 150 career assists with her nine dimes against NDSU on Nov. 15, pushing her beyond the 150 career assists limit to sit on the career assists per game list. Battle's 4.67 assists per game rank her fifth all-time at Minnesota. Her 154 career assists have come in just 33 games and her career average has her sitting in range of Lindsay Whalen (5.12) and Shayne Mullaney (4.73) and is also in range of the program record held by Kenisha Bell (5.38).

BY THE NUMBERS
500 - Mara Braun reached 500 points in her 31st career game, making her the third-fastest Gopher to reach the milestone in program history.
4 - Amaya Battle has registered five or more assists in four straight games dating back to last season.
2019 - Minnesota's last ranked win came in 2019 when the team defeated No. 19 Arizona State, 80-66 at Williams Arena.
8 - This season the Gophers have seen eight different players score 10 or more points in a game.
27 - The 'U' has averaged 27.7 points per game off turnovers through the first three games.

Week three of the 2023-24 season will start CSUN (2-1, 0-0 Big West) on Nov. 22, followed by another home matchup with Stony Brook (3-0, 0-0 CAA) on Nov. 26. Both games will be streamed on B1G+ with the CSUN game starting at 7 p.m. and the Stony Brook matchup starting at 2 p.m. Minnesota's Canned Food Drive will continue against CSUN with the Stony Brook promotion being the team's Superhero Day where fans are encouraged to wear their favorite superhero costumes.

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

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Mara Braun

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'U' to Host No. 8/8 UConn on Sunday Afternoon

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