Gophers Ready to Take on Drake Saturday Afternoon

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota (6-1, 0-0 B1G) wraps up its eight game home stand to start the season with a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Drake Bulldogs (5-2, 0-0 MVC). The game at Williams Arena is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip and will be streamed on B1G+ while Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist will broadcast the game on KFAN+.

GAME INFORMATION
TV/Stream: B1G+
Tip Time: 1:01 P.M.
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Promotions: Come out to Williams Arena for our Special Olympics of Minnesota Day! Get to Williams early as fans will receive a FREE Special Olympics of Minnesota branded rally towel while supplies last!

ABOUT THE DRAKE GAME

Minnesota and Drake have met 16 times in history with the Bulldogs holding a 10-6 advantage in the series. Drake and Minnesota have only met twice in the past 19 seasons with the Bulldogs earning those two victoires in 2020 and 2021. Minnesota's prior to wins in the series were back in 2003 and 2004, once in Des Moines and once in the Twin Cities. Overall Minnesota is 26-16 against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference.
Minnesota and Drake will meet for the third time since 2020 on Saturday, the Bulldogs have won the previous two meetings but no current Gopher played in either of those contests.
Drake, nicknamed the Bulldogs, are 2-2 over their past four games. The team from Des Moines defeated Maine (72-56) and Louisiana Tech (77-66) and lost to Richmond (74-66) and Iowa (113-90). Prior to this stretch Drake took down Iowa State at home, 85-73, and picked up a nice road win over Saint Louis, 78-66, a team that made last year's NCAA Tournament.
So far this season two of Drake's top four scorers hail from the Land of 10,000 Lakes with Taylor McAulay (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Anna Miller (Rochester, Minn.). McAulay averages 11.7 per contest while Miller goes for 9.7 points per game while adding 7.9 rebounds.
In the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 (Nov. 28) the Drake Bulldogs were No. 10.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Minnesota won its third straight on Nov. 29, defeating the back-to-back MEAC regular season champions Norfolk State 74-43. The Maroon and Gold continued their defensive dominance, holding the Spartans to just 32.7 percent shooting and forcing 17 turnovers that turned into 22 points on the other end of the floor. True freshman Grace Grocholski led all scorers with a career high 26 while Amaya Battle (14) and Sophie Hart (11) scored in double figures for the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota's defense has been outstanding all season, holding opponents to 33 percent shooting from the floor, which leads the Big Ten and is No. 15 in the NCAA through Nov. 29. The 'U' also has one of the best scoring defenses in the country at 49.8 per game, which is the best in the conference and No. 7 nationally. Minnesota's defense has been elite while not fouling, getting called for just 11.1 fouls per game, the third fewest in the nation and the best in the Big Ten.
In the victory over Norfolk State North Prairie, Wis., native Grace Grocholski posted the most points (26) by a freshman in the Big Ten this season. She tied Jilian Huerter (Rutgers) for the most threes made (5) in a single game this year by a rookie in the Big Ten, finishing an efficient 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Her 26 points as a freshman ties her for the ninth most points by a freshman in program history, tying the likes of Amanda Zahui B. (2013-14), Rachel Banham (2011-12) and Mara Braun (2022-23).
Sophie Hart has been one of the hottest players on the Gophers in the last three games with the junior center posting back-to-back career highs in wins over CSUN (13) and Stony Brook (17) followed by another double figures performance (11) against Norfolk State. After a perfect 6-of-6 from the field against CSUN, Hart made each of her first six shots against the Seawolves to extend her consecutive makes to 13 before she missed her first shot in the third quarter. During the three-game stretch Hart shot 18-of-28 (64.3 percent) from the floor and has swatted five shots, highlighted by her career high three against Stony Brook.
Sophomore Mara Braun has continued to show her range this season with at least one three made in 19 straight games. She's also No. 3 in the Big Ten this season in steals per game at 2.3, and leads the team overall with 16 this season.
On average the Maroon and Gold have outscored their opponents 21.3 to 11.6 in first quarters this season. In total the Gophers have nearly doubled up their opponents in the opening quarter, 149-81.

BY THE NUMBERS
399 - Minnesota has won 399 wins all-time at Williams Arena.
4 - Niamya Holloway is fourth overall in the Big Ten this season in steals per game (2.1) in just 13.6 minutes per game off the bench.
7 - Minnesota has gone seven straight games with less turnovers as a team than their opponents.
48 - So far this season Amaya Battle has improved her field goal percentage from 39 percent in 2022-23 to 48.1 percent in 2023-24.
35 - The 'U' has averaged 35.1 points per game in the paint through the first seven games.

The fifth week of the 2023-24 season will be the first time the Maroon and Gold head on the road with a Dec. 6, matchup set with Kentucky (3-5, 0-0 SEC). That game is set to broadcast on SEC Network+, at 6 p.m. at Rupp Arena.

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.

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Amaya Battle

Mara Braun

Grace Grocholski

Sophie Hart

Niamya Holloway