No. 4 Minnesota Moves onto Second Round of NCAA Tournament, will Face No. 5 Ole Miss

MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 4 seeded University of Minnesota women's basketball team (23-8, 13-5 Big Ten) will face the No. 5 seeded Ole Miss Rebels (24-11, 8-8 SEC) in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip off is scheduled for 1pm CT live on ESPN with Krista Blunk on play-by-play and Andrea Lloyd as the analyst. Fans can also tune in with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on KFAN 100.3 FM.

The winner of Sunday's game will advance to the Sweet 16 in Sacramento.

Fans can purchase tickets for this weekend's games here.

NCAA SECOND ROUND
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss
TV: ESPNU (Krista Blunk - PxP, Andrea Lloyd - Analyst)
Time Time: 1pm CT
Radio: KFAN 100.3 FM (Justin Gaard, Lynnette Sjoquist)
Location: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minn.)

STARTING FIVE

In its last 13 games, Minnesota has won 11. The Golden Gophers picked up their 13th win in Big Ten play on March 1st, defeating Illinois 78-73 on the road. It marked the third time in program history Minnesota reached 13 wins in conference play, also doing so in 1984-85 (18-10, 13-5 Big Ten) and 1982-83 (20-7, 13-5 Big Ten).
The 13 Big Ten wins this season match the combined total for head coach Dawn Plitzuweit in her first two seasons at Minnesota. Plitzuweit's 26 league wins in her first three seasons rank as the third most in program history behind only Pam Borton (33) and Marlene Stollings (27).
Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit is only the second coach in program history to achieve 20 wins in three consecutive seasons. The other to do so was Pam Borton in 2002-03 (25-6), 2003-04 (25-9) and 2004-05 (26-8). In Plitzuweit's career, she totaled 17 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns, and now 12 20-win seasons.
The Gophers won nine consecutive games from Jan. 18, 2026-Feb. 18, 2026. It was the team's eight-longest win streak in program history and the longest since opening the 2024-25 season with 10 consecutive victories. In addition, it was the Gophers' second longest win streak within the Big Ten ever. The only longer streak was a program-record 11 straight wins from February of 2003 to January of 2004.
Against the Phoenix on Friday, Minnesota set a season high attendance record of 10,355. It marks the highest attended Gopher women's basketball game at Williams Arena since Iowa on Feb. 28, 2024 (14,625).

MINNESOTA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Gophers are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and 11th in school history.
In addition, it marks the first time Minnesota will host an NCAA Tournament game since 2005 when the Gophers were a No. 3 seed, its highest in program history.
Minnesota has only hosted the NCAA Tournament two times, in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005.
After defeating No. 13 seed Green Bay on Friday night, Minnesota is now 13-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, which includes a run to the Final Four in 2004. The Maroon and Gold have advanced to the Sweet 16 three times (2003, 2004, 2005), while also competing in one Elite Eight (2004).
Minnesota made its first NCAA appearance in 1994.
The win over Green Bay marks the first NCAA Tournament win for Minnesota since 2018 and first for the Maroon and Gold in the Plitzuweit era.

WHERE THEY RANK

The Gophers came in at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and No. 19 USA Today Coaches Poll, released on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Minnesota is ranked No. 9 in the NET and is one of nine Big Ten teams in the top 25. The only two Big Ten teams ahead are No. 2 UCLA and No. 6 Michigan.
Minnesota's 1.51 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth nationally and second in the Big Ten, only behind AP No. 1 UConn (1.86), No. 2 UCLA (1.76), and Iowa State (1.58).
The Maroon and Gold's defense allows only 57.9 points per game, ranking them second in the Big Ten and 31sr in the nation.

ALL-BIG TEN GOPHERS

Four Minnesota standouts, Mara Braun, Amaya Battle, Tori McKinney and Grace Grocholski, have earned All-Big Ten recognition.
Grocholski was a consensus All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, while Battle was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by both the league's coaches and media. McKinney was placed on the Second Team by the coaches, while the media put her on the Third Team. Braun was tabbed as an Honorable Mention honoree by both the coaches and media.
It marks the most individual honors Minnesota has received since 2020, when four Gophers were selected (Taiye Bello (Coaches & Media 2), Jasmine Powell (Coaches & Media HM), Gadiva Hubbard (Coaches HM), Sara Scalia (Coaches HM)).
Additionally, Battle and McKinney were named to the league's All-Defensive Team, marking the first time Minnesota has had two on the team in program history.
Sophie Hart was selected as Minnesota's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

TOP TEN WINS

On Feb. 18, Minnesota defeated the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 74-61, with a seven-player rotation. Along with the Gophers' starters, only Finau Tonga and Brylee Glenn came off the bench. It was the first time since at least 2002-03 that the Gophers beat a top-10 team using seven or fewer players.
The ranked win over No. 10 Ohio State marked the first top-25 matchup victory for Minnesota at home since 2018 when No. 20 Minnesota took down No. 12 Syracuse 72-68 at Williams Arena. In addition, it was the first time the Gophers beat a top 10 opponent while ranked since 2006 when No. 12 Minnesota beat No. 3 Ohio State 66-63 in overtime at the Big Ten Tournament.
Only two other teams in the country have beaten a top-10 opponent with seven players this season. Duke defeated No. 6 Louisville, 59-58, on Feb. 5 and UCLA defeated No. 8 Michigan, 69-66, on Feb. 8.
With three top-25 wins and two top-10 victories, It's the first time since 2017-18 that Minnesota has defeated three ranked opponents in the same season and first time since 2003-04 it has defeated two top-10 opponents.
The 91-85 win over Iowa on Feb. 5 marked Minnesota's second victory over an AP Top 25 opponent this season, its first outright win over a top-10 team since a 93-74 victory over No. 10 Maryland at Williams Arena in 2018 and its first top-10 road win since 2003, when the Gophers defeated No. 9 Stanford 68-56 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was also Minnesota's first regular-season top-10 road win since beating No. 5 Wisconsin 92-85 in 2002.
Minnesota snapped an 11-game losing streak against Iowa, earning its first win over the Hawkeyes since a 90-89 victory in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament.

BATTLE TIME

Against Ohio State on Feb. 18, Amaya Battle officially surpassed Lindsay Whalen to be Minnesota's No. 2 all-time assists leader. She sits behind Debbie Hunter (1979-83) who ended her career with 633.
Battle's career total stands at 1,513 points, 757 rebounds, and 590 assists. She stands 11th all-time in Gophers' scoring, ninth in career rebounds, second in assists, and second overall in career starts and consecutive starts.
Battle is one of two active NCAA players with more than 1,500 career points, 750 career rebounds and 590 career assists along with TCU's Olivia Miles. Battle is the only one to do it at one school.
In addition, she is one of 17 players since at least 1981-82 with her career numbers. Other players among the list include Catilin Clark, Dawn Staley, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Along with Battle, Rachel Banham is the only other Golden Gopher to record at least 1,000 points, 600 career rebounds and 500 assists in a career.
This season, the Hopkins, Minn., native has increased her rebounding from averaging 5.1 rebounds per game last season to 7.4 this season. Notably, she's recorded 229 rebounds this season, an improvement from 182 last season.
Against the Phoenix on Friday, Battle matched her season high of 21 points. Battle went 3-4 from the arc and had eight boards.
In addition, Battle leads the Gophers with four double-doubles on the year: (13 points, 12 rebounds vs. Maryland on Dec. 7, 2025), (12 points, 10 rebounds at Penn State on Jan. 28, 2026), (12 points, 14 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 5, 2026), (13 points, 12 rebounds against Ohio State on Feb. 18, 2026).

McKINNEY MAGIC

In the Maroon and Gold's last 12 games, Tori McKinney has averaged 13.5 points per game, has tallied 41 assists and has a team-leading 30 steals along with eight blocks during that stretch. She's hit double figures in 10 of the last 12 games.
This season, the Minnetonka, Minn., native leads Minnesota's offense averaging 13 points per game.
Against the Spartans, McKinney had a career-high 29 points, 10 field goals made, and 19 field goal attempts.
McKinney recorded back-to-back 20-point games, scoring 23 points against Penn State on Jan. 28 after posting 20 against Wisconsin on Jan. 25.
It marked the first time a Gopher scored 20 or more points in consecutive games since Mara Braun did so in 2023 against Purdue (21 on Dec. 10, 2023) and Grambling (26 on Dec. 13, 2023).
This season, McKinney has improved her scoring average to 13.1 from 10.6 last season, and has scored 341 points in a span of 26 games compared to 372 in 35 last year. She's surpassed her 47 steals last season as she currently sits at a team-leading 52 this year.
McKinney ranks sixth in the Big Ten, averaging 2.0 steals per game.

THE ORIGINAL G-MONEY

This season, Grace Grocholski leads Minnesota with 380 points and is second at 12.3 points per game.
A North Prairie, Wis., native, Grocholski has 217 career made 3-pointers, ranking No. 5 all time in Minnesota program history.
Grocholski ranks second on the Gophers' roster with 91 assists.
Against No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 7, Grocholski knocked down a career-high nine 3-pointers on her way to a career-best 31 points, tying for the second-most 3-pointers made in a single game in program history.
In Minnesota's win over Ohio State on Feb 18, Grocholski went 4-8 from the arc. She hit two 3-pointers in 28 seconds in the third quarter to extend Minnesota's lead to eight.

SOPH THE GOPH

Graduate center Sophie Hart recorded her fourth double-double of the season against the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament, recording 12 points and a team high 19 rebounds.
Hart became the first Gopher this season to hit double-double numbers in the first half of a game. By the end of the first half, the center had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
In addition, Hart became the third Gopher this season to reach 1,000 career points.
The game marked her seventh this season grabbing 10 or more boards and third recording 11 or more.
Her 19 rebounds are a career record for Hart, they also tied the program record for rebounds in a Big Ten Tournament game. The last player to grab 19 rebounds was Amanda Zahui B. against Wisconsin on March 6, 2014.
Against Green Bay, Hart scored 19 points with six rebounds, an assist and steal. It marked her eighth-consecutive game hitting double figures in points.
Hart also had double-doubles against Rutgers on Feb. 8 (17 points, 10 rebounds), Samford on Dec. 1, 2025 (17 points, 10 rebounds), and Ohio State on Feb. 18, 2026 (18 points, 10 rebounds). She co-leads Minnesota alongside Amaya Battle with four this season.
The Farmington, Minn., native has increased her scoring average to 11.2 points per game compared to last season's 8.9.
Hart has surpassed her season high in steals this season with 19, she previously set it during the 2023-24 season with 18.

MINNESOTA MARA

In Minnesota's last 10 regular season games, Mara Braun was a spark on offense, averaging 13.2 points per game.
Against Green Bay, Braun had 16 points and six boards. She went 3-5 from the 3-point line and had one assist and steal.
Braun matched her season high in 3-pointers made against Ohio State on Feb. 18, going 4-9 from beyond the arc. The two she made in the third quarter contributed to Minnesota's 27 points in the frame.
Against Nebraska, Braun had a 9-0 run on her own putting away three 3-pointers.
Braun had a team-high 20 points in Minnesota's win over Wisconsin on Feb. 15.
She led the Gophers and scored a season-high 22 points at Penn State on Jan. 28.
At Iowa, she had 16 points and went 4-of-4 from the 3-point line

IN THE ROTATION

Transfers Finau Tonga and Brylee Glenn have made an impact off the bench during the 2025-26 season for Minnesota.
Tonga is averaging 4.7 points and 12.3 minutes per game this year.
Tonga, a native of Taylorsville, Utah, came out big against Wisconsin on defense with two blocks.
Glenn is averaging 6.5 points and 22.6 minutes per contest. She's totaled 192 points as a Gopher and is 22 points away from hitting 1,000 career points.

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Players Mentioned

Amaya Battle

Mara Braun

Brylee Glenn

Grace Grocholski

Sophie Hart

Tori McKinney

Finau Tonga