Minnesota Hosts Purdue in Big Ten Opener on Sunday

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (8-1, 0-0 B1G) is set to begin Big Ten play against Purdue (6-3, 0-0 B1G) at Williams Arena on Sunday, Dec. 10. The game is scheduled to tip at 1 p.m. 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: Throwback Day - The Gophers are throwing it back in time at Williams Arena! Students receive a FREE Women's Basketball reversible bucket hat and a slice of pizza while supplies last! Cub Family 4 Pack - Four (4) game tickets, four (4) Boxed Candy, Packaged Snacks or Regular Popcorn, and four (4) Regular Fountain Soda, 20oz Soda or Bottled Water, and $5 off a $50 purchase at Cub!

ABOUT THE PURDUE GAME

Minnesota and Purdue have met 72 times in their history, with Minnesota winning four out of the last six matchups. Minnesota captured a 77-69 win the last time the Boilermakers came to Williams Arena in Feb. of 2023, and have won two straight over Purdue at the Barn.
This season Purdue is 6-3 overall and has a winning streak at four games with wins over Southern Indiana, Dayton, Valparaiso and SIUE. Against Power 5 opponents this year Purdue is 1-3 with its lone win coming against Texas A&M, 72-58, at home at Mackey Arena. Their three losses are against UCLA, Florida and Georgia.
Fifth year guard Abbey Ellis is the team's leading scorer this season at 14.8 points per contest, she's also the team's co-leader in steals with 13 and has shot 41.5 percent from the floor. Purdue also gets double figures from Madison Layden (10.9), Rashunda Jones (10.9) and Caitlyn Harper (10.4) this season. Jeanae Terry is the team's leading rebounder as the point guard, snagging 6.6 boards per game while also averaging 6.0 assists.
Purdue returned to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2017, after posting a 19-11 record overall and a 9-8 mark in Big Ten play, the Boilermakers' first winning record in conference since 2017-18. The Gophers and Boilermakers split the season series with both teams winning at their home arenas.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Minnesota won its fifth straight on Dec. 6, defeating the team's first Power 5 opponent of the season, Kentucky, on the road 76-57 at Rupp Arena. In the win the Gophers out scored the Wildcats by 21 in the second half to overcome a two-point halftime deficit and allowed just eight points in the final 10:21 in the game to close out their SEC opponent. Minnesota hit a season-high 13 threes in the win, with freshman Grace Grocholski and sophomore Mara Braun combining for 10-of-14 from beyond the arc.
For the first time freshman Grace Grocholski was honored by the Big Ten Conference as the Freshman of the Week. Grocholski averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two wins while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Her 26 points against Norfolk State were the most points scored in a single game this season by a freshman in the league. Through Dec. 7, Grocholski is second among Big Ten freshmen in points per game (11.4), second in rebounds per game (5.3) and is second in assists per game (2.8).
After setting the new program record for consecutive free throws made on Dec. 2, Mara Braun extended her program record to 36-straight makes with a pair against Kentucky. Braun is now tied for the sixth-longest streak in Big Ten history with Brittany Rayburn (Purdue, 2010-11). The sophomore has started the season 29-for-29 from the charity stripe with her streak dating back to last season. Braun is one of four players in the country who hasn't missed a free throw this season with her ongoing streak being No. 6 in Big Ten history and is the longest streak in the conference since 2018.
Sophie Hart has been one of the hottest players on the Gophers in the last three games with the junior center posting an average of 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest, up from 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in her first six games. During the three-game stretch Hart has shot 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the floor and has just one turnover in her last 82.3 minutes on the floor.
Minnesota's defense has been outstanding this season, with the team's 54.1 points per game allowed leading the Big Ten and good enough for 33rd in the NCAA. This season the 'U' allows teams to shoot just 35.5 percent from the floor, which is No. 3 in the conference and is 52nd in the NCAA while committing just 12.4 fouls per game, which is No. 1 in the league and No. 6 in the country through Dec. 7. The 'U' has forced 20.3 turnovers per game, good enough for 47th in the NCAA and No. 4 in the Big Ten Conference.
Minnesota has been elite down the stretch of games this season, out scoring their opponents, on average, 20.1 to 11.0 in the fourth quarter this season. This season the Gophers have held their opponents to 29.4 percent (37-of-126) from the floor in the fourth quarter and just 21.2 percent (11-of-52) from beyond the arc.

BY THE NUMBERS
2 - Mara Braun scored 17 first-half points against Kentucky marking the second time this season she's scored 17 or more in the first half (23 vs. Chicago State).
1 - Minnesota has had the same starting lineup of Battle, Braun, Grocholski, Heyer and Hart in all nine games this season.
9 - Minnesota has gone nine straight games with equal or less turnovers as a team than their opponents.
103 - Mara Braun has not registered a turnover in 103:29 minutes of playing time over the past three games.
76 - Minnesota wins 76.9 percent of their games where Mara Braun has 20 or more points or Amaya Battle has three or fewer turnovers.

The seventh week of the 2023-24 season will feature just one contest for the Maroon and Gold on Dec. 13, against Grambling State (3-4, 0-0 SWAC). That game will begin at 11 a.m. and will be the team's Field Trip Game where all students 8th grade and under, staff/faculty, and administrators receive FREE admission.

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

Amaya Battle

Mara Braun

Grace Grocholski

Sophie Hart