Minnesota Set for First Border Battle Matchup in Madison

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (14-4, 4-3 B1G) is ready for its first of two games against the Wisconsin Badgers (8-9, 1-6 B1G). The first 'Border Battle' of the 2023-24 season is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. on Jan. 23, with the game being televised on Big Ten Network while Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist will broadcast the game on KFAN+.

GAME INFORMATION
TV/Stream: Big Ten Network
Tip Time: 8:00 p.m. CT.
Radio: KFAN+ (96.7 FM) and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)

ABOUT THE WISCONSIN GAME

Minnesota and Wisconsin are meeting for the 86th time on Jan. 23, with the Gophers holding a 47-38 advantage in the series that started back in 1974. Minnesota holds a record of 20-19 against the Badgers in Madison.
The Badgers have dropped three straight, all being conference games. Wisconsin's last win was on the road against Illinois, taking down the Fighting Illini 67-61. Wisconsin's last win at home was on December 21, against Eastern Illinois, 76-64.
Individually this season the Badgers are led by sophomore Serah Williams who has started and played in 15 of Wisconsin's 17 games. She averages 16.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. Her 3.2 blocks per game leads the Big Ten and is No. 5 in the NCAA this season. Wisconsin also has seen Ronnie Porter take a step forward this season with an average of 10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per contest while playing an average of 34.2 minutes per game.
As of Jan. 20, Wisconsin is the No. 3 team in the Big Ten and No. 47 in the country in blocks per game as a team at 4.4, with 3.2 of those coming from Williams. The Badgers will get attempts up from beyond the arc with an average of 21.5 per game, which is the sixth-most per game in the Big Ten this season.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are the two youngest teams in the Big Ten this season (Minnesota 11 underclassmen, Wisconsin has 10).
Wisconsin head coach Marisa Moseley is familiar to Minnesota as she previously served as an assistant for the Golden Gophers from 2007-09 under then head coach Pam Borton. In two seasons the Gophers were 40-24 and 22-14 in the Big Ten, making the NCAA Tournament both years.

GOPHER NOTABLES

Minnesota bounced back from a road loss to No. 16/16 Indiana to dominate Michigan State at home 69-50 on Jan. 20. The Maroon and Gold saw Mallory Heyer have one of her best performances of the season with 18 points and tying her career high of 15 rebounds. Minnesota's defense was the story of the game, holding the Spartans who averaged 88.5 points per game coming into the matchup to their season low of 50 points. Minnesota held them to their lowest field goal percentage (32.8 percent) and held them to just 5-of-28 from beyond the arc while out rebounding them 45-36.
Since 2009, only two Big Ten players have pulled down 15 rebounds and hit 5 or more threes in any game and against Michigan State Mallory Heyer became the only player that has done it twice. Heyer's first such game came during her freshman season when she had 28 points and 15 rebounds against Wisconsin where she hit 5-of-7 threes.
After being named to the Big Ten's weekly honor roll (Jan. 15), Mallory Heyer has continued on her tear. She's averaged 8.6 rebounds in her last five games and in that same span has been averaging 13 points while shooting 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the floor and 45.5 percent (15-of-33) from beyond the arc, including a career high six on the road against Michigan and five against Michigan State.
Mara Braun leads the NCAA in free throw percentage at 94.6 percent, making 53-of-56 attempts this season. This year Braun is No. 3 in the Big Ten in scoring average (18.2), she's ninth nationally in threes made (55) and among Big Ten players is No. 5 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
Minnesota's offense has been elite in the fourth quarter this season with the Maroon and Gold owning a 19.3-13.3 on average in the final quarter. Meanwhile in conference play in the final quarter Minnesota's offense has been efficient in all facets shooting 49 percent (49-of-100) from the floor and 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from beyond the arc.
On average the Maroon and Gold have outscored their opponents 19.6 to 14.5 in first quarters this season. In the first half the Golden Gophers have outscored their opposition on an average of 38.6-28.8.

BY THE NUMBERS
59 - This season Minnesota's scoring defense is ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten at 59.9 points per game.
6 - Minnesota held Michigan State to six points in the second quarter, the lowest point total for a Big Ten opponent in a single quarter this season.
16 - Mallory Heyer has made at least one three in 16 straight games.
6 - This season Minnesota's record is 6-3 against teams in the top 100 of the NET Rankings.
3 - Sophomore Amaya Battle has hit one three in each of the past three games, the longest streak of her career.

After playing four games in the past nine days the Gophers will have four days between the Wisconsin game and their next opponent, Illinois. The road game is slated for Jan 28, which will be streamed on B1G+.

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

Mallory Heyer