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University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
16-14,5-13Big Ten
Rutgers
8-24,2-16Big Ten
Battle Drops Career High in 77-69 Big Ten Tournament Win Over Rutgers
3/6/2024 10:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The 32 points for Battle is a program record in the Big Ten Tournament.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Amaya Battle scored a Big Ten Tournament program record 32 points to help lead the Minnesota women's basketball team over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 77-69 at Target Center Wednesday.
Battle added seven assists and five rebounds to her 32 point game to lead the Golden Gophers (16-14) while also committing zero turnovers in 35 minutes of play. Redshirt freshman Niamya Holloway helped out with seven points, nine rebounds and three steals off the bench and Big Ten All-Freshman Team member Grace Grocholski chipped in with 12 points.
Holloway pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Minnesota, grabbing 12 boards and turning them into 12 second chance points.
The Minnesota defense caused its share of mistakes in Wednesday's game, forcing 16 Rutgers turnovers while committing only seven. Those takeaways turned into 17 points on the offensive end of the floor.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 16-14 advantage, Minnesota went on an 8-0 run with 53 seconds left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Battle, to increase its lead to 24-14, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Minnesota capitalized on nine Rutgers turnovers in the period, turning them into 11 points on the other end of the floor.
The Golden Gophers maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 39-35 edge. Minnesota forced six Rutgers turnovers in the period and turned them into four points.
Minnesota continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run to expand its lead further to 47-39 with 5:22 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Scarlet Knights had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Golden Gophers still entered the fourth quarter with a 56-55 edge. Minnesota turned four offensive rebounds into four second chance points on the way to scoring 17 total points in the quarter.
Minnesota kept widening that lead, expanding it to 72-69 before going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 77-69 with 21 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game.
Game Notes
» Battle's 32 points eclipsed Gadiva Hubbard (2017) and Jamie Broback (2005) for the most points by a Gopher in the Big Ten Tournament.
» Battle's 15 free throw attempts were also a Big Ten Tournament program record with her 11 makes being the second most in a single conference tournament game at Minnesota.
» Niamya Holloway's three steals gives her eight games this season with three or more steals, the most among Big Ten freshmen this season.
» Holloway's nine rebounds were a new career high with her five on the offensive end tying her career high she set in the season opener against LIU (Nov. 8, 2023).
» Minnesota's Big Ten Tournament victory is the first for the program at the conference tournament since 2020 (85-65 win over No. 14 seed Penn State).
» Minnesota will next take on No. 6 seed Michigan. The Gophers are 2-8 all-time against the No. 6 seed in program history with the last win coming in 1997 (80-75 win over Wisconsin).
