Minnesota Set to Open Season Against North Dakota

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) are set to open the season at home against North Dakota (0-0, 0-0 Summit League) at Williams Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed live on B1G+ with Marisa Cate and Blythe Whealy and can be heard on KFAN+ with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on the call.

Minnesota (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. North Dakota (0-0, 0-0 Summit League)
Stream: B1G+ (Marisa Cate and Blythe Whealy)
Tip Time: 7:01 p.m. CT
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Location: Williams Arena
Promotions: Bring a nonperishable food item to the University Ave lobby at a Gopher women's basketball game in the month of November for a BOGO ticket voucher!

OPENING NIGHT

Minnesota is 37-15 all time in season-opening contests and 29-5 at home in season openers.
In those 33 home games, the Gophers have averaged 81.9 points per game and won by an average margin of 21.1 points.
In last season's home opener, Minnesota had three players score in double figures, led by Annika Stewart (18 points), Mara Braun (17) and Taylor Woodson (10).
The Gophers return 1,000-point scorer Amaya Battle (1,166), who became the first Gopher to reach the milestone since Sara Scalia in 2021-22.
The Maroon and Gold were ranked No. 18 in The Athletic's preseason top 25 and No. 20 in On3's. In addition, Minnesota received 15 votes in the AP's Oct. 14 poll and one vote in the Oct. 23 WBCA poll.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS

The 2025-26 season marks a new era for North Dakota women's basketball, as Dennis Hutter was elevated to head coach on March 24, 2025. Prior to last season, Hutter spent 19 seasons at Mayville State, where he compiled 314 wins and seven 20-win seasons.
Center Walker Demers was selected to the 2025-26 Summit League Preseason Second Team. Demers led the Hawks last season, averaging 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in 25 appearances.
Mackenzie Hughes was an addition to the Hawks' squad from the portal, who played under Hutter at Mayville State. With the Comets, Hughes was named an NAIA Third Team All-American and totaled 1,647 points, 410 rebounds and 302 assists.

SERIES HISTORY

Tuesday night's game is the sixth meeting between the Gophers and the Hawks in a series that dates back to 1977.
Minnesota leads the series 4-1, with North Dakota's only win coming in 1977, a 55-43 victory in Moorhead, Minnesota.
The contest will be the first in 11 seasons, as the teams have not faced each other since 2015.
The Gophers hold a four-game winning streak over the Hawks.

WBIT CHAMPIONS

The Golden Gophers concluded the 2024-25 season by winning the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT), marking the program's second postseason title. Minnesota previously won the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) in 2012.
In the championship game, Minnesota never trailed after taking an 18-8 lead in the first quarter and held Belmont to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
Tori McKinney was named WBIT MVP after recording a career-high 26 points, along with three steals and three assists. She was joined on the WBIT All-Tournament Team by Amaya Battle.
The Gophers' run to the WBIT title included four road wins, at Toledo, Missouri State, Florida and Belmont, and one home victory at Williams Arena over Gonzaga.

2024-25 SEASON NOTABLES

The 2024-25 campaign saw Minnesota reach the 25-win milestone for the first time since 2004-05. The program won the 2025 WBIT Championship, earning its first postseason title since 2012.
Minnesota earned its first AP Poll ranking since 2019, when the Gophers entered the polls at No. 24 on Jan. 13, 2025. The last time Minnesota was ranked before the 2024-25 season was on Dec. 30, 2019, the Gophers were ranked No. 24 after 12-straight wins.
The Gophers reached the 25-win mark for the first time since 2004-05, and only the third time in program history a Gophers' squad has hit the milestone.
Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit earned her 400th career win in a come-from-behind victory over Illinois. The Maroon and Gold rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat the Fighting Illini.
Minnesota finished with a 8-10 conference mark, improving from a 5-13 2023-24 record, earning them the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis hosted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of Indiana's WNBA team, the Indiana Fever.
The Gophers played a total of 17 non-conference opponents during the regular and postseason going 17-0 against them. During the regular season, Minnesota set a new program record with 12 non-conference wins. The Gophers have only ever set 11 during seven different seasons and most recently in 2018-19.
Minnesota had its best 17-game start in program history with a 16-1 record before falling to No. 8 Maryland. The Gophers came close twice posting 15-2 marks to begin a season during 2002-03 and 2003-04.
After a stellar performance against Penn State, Tori McKinney was named USBWA National Freshman of the Week. Leading up to the honor, McKinney recorded five consecutive games hitting double digit figures including 25 points against the Nittany Lions. A week later, McKinney earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
Annika Stewart, Grocholski and Battle all earned CSC (College Sports Communicators) Academic All-District Honors. Battle was recognized as an Academic All-American, the first Gopher to earn the honor since 2021.

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Players Mentioned

Amaya Battle

Mara Braun

Tori McKinney

Annika Stewart

Taylor Woodson