BY MIKE PEDEN
If fans considered Minnesota's last season an aberration, they may remember the 2010-11 season as a contagion. The Gophers lost 65-51 to #8/10 Michigan State Sunday at Williams Arena, which will surely add concerns about the direction of the program.
And that's not taking the Big Ten Tournament into account, where Minnesota (12-17, 4-12) has not advanced past the first round since 2007. The Gophers would have to win the tournament championship to qualify for a post-season spot, which would be an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
With Minnesota dropping its fifth conference game after building a double-digit lead (12 in Sunday's loss), a reversal of that trend may be difficult.
"We played decent basketball for 30 minutes tonight," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "Our passing was much to be desired. Our turnovers really fueled them offensively."
Michigan State (25-4, 13-3) took control in the final 13:24, limiting Minnesota to two field goals, forcing 22 turnovers for the game and ending the game with a 32-6 run.
Minnesota did play with life in the first half, outrebounding Michigan State 24-11, but Michigan State siphoned the hometown's energy with a 22-9 showing in rebounds for the second. Not even Katie Loberg's 19 points and seven rebounds were enough to stop the Big Ten front-runners.
Sparking the Big Ten regular season champions were Kalisha Keane and Lykendra Johnson, who scored 19 and 18 points respectively.
"(Minnesota) can put a team out there that's physically imposing," said Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant. "We kept Lykendra out there and (moved) Porsche Poole to point guard because we just weren't getting enough offense. Porsche's performance really turned the tide for us."
Poole scored 10 points in 18 minutes for Michigan State.
Although the Spartans had locked up the regular season title last week, Merchant said the season-ending victory would keep their tournament resumé in solid shape when it comes to NCAA tournament seeding. No matter what happens in the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State will earn a post-season berth.
"We needed to do it without Penn State beating Purdue for the outright championship. You don't want to give committees any opportunity to think you're not on track," she said.
Should Minnesota win its first round game against Northwestern on Thursday in Indianapolis, they would face Michigan State on Friday, who owns a first-round bye and the top seed in the conference tournament.
Borton believes her Gophers have the capability to threaten in the "last chance" tournament as the chemistry has improved, even if their record has little to show the bonding.
"They actually want to be around each other. I know this team knows they can play with anybody," she said.
In previous years, such statements from lower-tier teams would sound far-fetched. However, the Big Ten Conference has not seen any turnover in coaching for the last four years; head coaches understand how to approach each of their opponents. Since no one has to prepare for any new system, the chance of a lower team surprising a strong squad is higher than before.
"That gap has completely changed. The bottom and middle tier have come together," Merchant said.
Showing posts with label women's basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's basketball. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Purdue's defense leaves Minnesota "boiling"
BY MIKE PEDEN
Following Sunday's loss to Ohio State, Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said her team figured out the ingredients to win games.
After Thursday night's 60-50 loss to Purdue at Williams Arena, the Minnesota coaching staff and fan base will be looking to make a few adjustments to their recipe.
Purdue (18-9, 8-6) was fueled by junior Brittany Rayburn's 27 points, with 17 coming in the second half. Rayburn kept pace with her outstanding free throw shooting, making 12 of 14. The Boilermakers finished the game with an 11-2 run and scored the game's final eight points.
While Purdue made just 35 percent of their field goals, their defensive presence was more than enough. Purdue blocked 10 Minnesota (11-15, 3-10) shots, limiting their opponent to 28 percent from the floor. To boot, the Gophers did not make a field goal in the final 8:35.
"They were bodying us up, and I think that bothered us," Borton said.
"It felt like they were crashing five at a time," said junior guard Jackie Voigt. "We miss one rebound and it was a scramble."
Junior forward Brianna Mastey tied her career high in the first half with 13 points, her first game in double-figures since January 2nd. Mastey set her new career best with 10:28 in the second half on a right-side runner and finished with 17 points.
Mastey's performance may be overshadowed by the continuing struggles of junior guard Kiara Buford. She scored eight points with half of them coming from the free throw line. On the floor, Buford made only two of 16 shots.
"Kiara's a great player when she's aggressive," Borton said. "She was a little timid tonight, especially defensively."
While a timid nature can not explain Buford's or the team's struggles as a whole throughout the last two seasons, Borton noted how opponents have defeated the Gophers recently by attacking the lane late in games while the Gophers often respond with contested jump shots.
"We didn't finish a lot of things tonight," she said.
Following Sunday's loss to Ohio State, Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said her team figured out the ingredients to win games.
After Thursday night's 60-50 loss to Purdue at Williams Arena, the Minnesota coaching staff and fan base will be looking to make a few adjustments to their recipe.
Purdue (18-9, 8-6) was fueled by junior Brittany Rayburn's 27 points, with 17 coming in the second half. Rayburn kept pace with her outstanding free throw shooting, making 12 of 14. The Boilermakers finished the game with an 11-2 run and scored the game's final eight points.
While Purdue made just 35 percent of their field goals, their defensive presence was more than enough. Purdue blocked 10 Minnesota (11-15, 3-10) shots, limiting their opponent to 28 percent from the floor. To boot, the Gophers did not make a field goal in the final 8:35.
"They were bodying us up, and I think that bothered us," Borton said.
"It felt like they were crashing five at a time," said junior guard Jackie Voigt. "We miss one rebound and it was a scramble."
Junior forward Brianna Mastey tied her career high in the first half with 13 points, her first game in double-figures since January 2nd. Mastey set her new career best with 10:28 in the second half on a right-side runner and finished with 17 points.
Mastey's performance may be overshadowed by the continuing struggles of junior guard Kiara Buford. She scored eight points with half of them coming from the free throw line. On the floor, Buford made only two of 16 shots.
"Kiara's a great player when she's aggressive," Borton said. "She was a little timid tonight, especially defensively."
While a timid nature can not explain Buford's or the team's struggles as a whole throughout the last two seasons, Borton noted how opponents have defeated the Gophers recently by attacking the lane late in games while the Gophers often respond with contested jump shots.
"We didn't finish a lot of things tonight," she said.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Ohio State "bucks" doubters while beating Gophers
BY MIKE PEDEN
Ohio State can almost always count on momentum when Minnesota is up on their schedule, they led the all-time series 49-10 heading in to Sunday's game at Williams Arena.
After a grueling duel, the Buckeyes chalked up win number 50 with an 83-76 victory, continuing their psychological stronghold over the Gophers.
"A lot of people were saying we are heartless when we're on the road," said Ohio State guard Tayler Hill. "We got up, we lost the lead, and then we came back."
Hill did not hesitate to respond to critics as Ohio State (15-9, 6-6) evened their conference record.
"It makes me want to kill every team we play. Any team, any player," she said.
"We're finding about our character right now. That is impacting us in a very positive way," said Ohio State head coach Jim Foster.
Senior center Jantel Lavender played her usual dominating game inside and finished with a game-high 29 points, adding nine rebounds. She became Ohio State's all-time leading scorer with a transition lay-up at the 16:28 mark in the second half, besting Katie Smith's record of 2,578 points.
To boot, Lavender broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games in double-figures, marking her 126th.
"It's a milestone in my career I won't ever forget. The reason I can score is because of my teammates and my coaches having in faith in me to be a go-to player," she said.
Although Lavender will not likely surpass Connecticut's Maya Moore for the all-time NCAA scoring record, she will present a challenge for any future Buckeye to break the school record with a few games left to pad her lead. Foster believes Lavender has not made her last collegiate impression.
"Someone that's scored double-figures every time she's walked on the court, when most defenses are working on stopping you, that speaks volumes," he said.
For most of the game, both teams essentially canceled each other out, with Minnesota (11-14, 3-9) out-rebounding Ohio State 40-32 while Ohio State forced 16 turnovers to Minnesota's seven.
While early nerves kept the Gophers from leading in the first half, they tied seven times with the Buckeyes, including the halftime break with the score 36-36.
Minnesota would tie two more times until a Jackie Voigt three-pointer gave the home team their first lead at 43-42 early in the second half, and that set the stage for a back-and-forth fight throughout the second.
Ohio State could not relax until the final minute, but the key moment was junior guard Samantha Prahalis draining a three-pointer to break a 71-71 tie with 2:18 left, bothering a young Minnesota team just enough to seal a win.
"In the last three minutes of the game, we did not have an answer for Tayler Hill penetrating to the basket," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.
Hill, the all-time leading high school scorer in Minnesota history, flashed a few moves she was known for while playing at Minneapolis South. Hill scored 19 points for the game and sank eight free throws in the final 3:07.
"We're one of the only teams on a daily basis that works on free throws," she said. "It was just like practice."
The stamina Hill developed playing almost every minute at South also proved useful, as she played all 40 minutes against Minnesota.
Although Hill can log large blocks of time, the adversity facing Ohio State this year is an obstacle she never faced at South, even as her high school rival, Minnesota guard Kiara Buford, won two state championships against Hill's old South team.
"In high school, I wasn't challenged every day. The competition wasn't there," she said. "In practice, there's drills we do called 'and two.' No breaks. Time and time up and down the court."
Buford led Minnesota in scoring with 23 points and made her last 10 free throws after missing her first four.
"I promised myself after that fourth one that I wasn't going to miss any more," she said.
Team chemistry is also no longer missing for the Gophers, even though expectations may not be high when the Big Ten tournament begins. That did not make Borton any less proud for her team's fight against the Buckeyes.
"We have figured out the ingredients to win basketball games," she said.
Ohio State can almost always count on momentum when Minnesota is up on their schedule, they led the all-time series 49-10 heading in to Sunday's game at Williams Arena.
After a grueling duel, the Buckeyes chalked up win number 50 with an 83-76 victory, continuing their psychological stronghold over the Gophers.
"A lot of people were saying we are heartless when we're on the road," said Ohio State guard Tayler Hill. "We got up, we lost the lead, and then we came back."
Hill did not hesitate to respond to critics as Ohio State (15-9, 6-6) evened their conference record.
"It makes me want to kill every team we play. Any team, any player," she said.
"We're finding about our character right now. That is impacting us in a very positive way," said Ohio State head coach Jim Foster.
Senior center Jantel Lavender played her usual dominating game inside and finished with a game-high 29 points, adding nine rebounds. She became Ohio State's all-time leading scorer with a transition lay-up at the 16:28 mark in the second half, besting Katie Smith's record of 2,578 points.
To boot, Lavender broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games in double-figures, marking her 126th.
"It's a milestone in my career I won't ever forget. The reason I can score is because of my teammates and my coaches having in faith in me to be a go-to player," she said.
Although Lavender will not likely surpass Connecticut's Maya Moore for the all-time NCAA scoring record, she will present a challenge for any future Buckeye to break the school record with a few games left to pad her lead. Foster believes Lavender has not made her last collegiate impression.
"Someone that's scored double-figures every time she's walked on the court, when most defenses are working on stopping you, that speaks volumes," he said.
For most of the game, both teams essentially canceled each other out, with Minnesota (11-14, 3-9) out-rebounding Ohio State 40-32 while Ohio State forced 16 turnovers to Minnesota's seven.
While early nerves kept the Gophers from leading in the first half, they tied seven times with the Buckeyes, including the halftime break with the score 36-36.
Minnesota would tie two more times until a Jackie Voigt three-pointer gave the home team their first lead at 43-42 early in the second half, and that set the stage for a back-and-forth fight throughout the second.
Ohio State could not relax until the final minute, but the key moment was junior guard Samantha Prahalis draining a three-pointer to break a 71-71 tie with 2:18 left, bothering a young Minnesota team just enough to seal a win.
"In the last three minutes of the game, we did not have an answer for Tayler Hill penetrating to the basket," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.
Hill, the all-time leading high school scorer in Minnesota history, flashed a few moves she was known for while playing at Minneapolis South. Hill scored 19 points for the game and sank eight free throws in the final 3:07.
"We're one of the only teams on a daily basis that works on free throws," she said. "It was just like practice."
The stamina Hill developed playing almost every minute at South also proved useful, as she played all 40 minutes against Minnesota.
Although Hill can log large blocks of time, the adversity facing Ohio State this year is an obstacle she never faced at South, even as her high school rival, Minnesota guard Kiara Buford, won two state championships against Hill's old South team.
"In high school, I wasn't challenged every day. The competition wasn't there," she said. "In practice, there's drills we do called 'and two.' No breaks. Time and time up and down the court."
Buford led Minnesota in scoring with 23 points and made her last 10 free throws after missing her first four.
"I promised myself after that fourth one that I wasn't going to miss any more," she said.
Team chemistry is also no longer missing for the Gophers, even though expectations may not be high when the Big Ten tournament begins. That did not make Borton any less proud for her team's fight against the Buckeyes.
"We have figured out the ingredients to win basketball games," she said.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Gophers "board" up first conference win streak
BY MIKE PEDEN
Gophers head coach Pam Borton said her team forgot what it felt like to a win a game after the Gophers defeated Northwestern Thursday night. Now Minnesota will have to remember what a winning streak feels like after they scraped out a 60-50 win over Michigan Sunday at Williams Arena.
No player scored more than 13 points for the game, but Minnesota (10-12, 2-7) once again took advantage of out-rebounding their opponent, 42-31 in this case. Freshman forward Kionna Kellogg scooped 13 of those and tied her career high in points with 8.
"We were getting outrebounded at halftime because she was on the bench," Borton said. "She brings us a lot of toughness."
The rest of the Gophers followed suit, as they held together to prevent another double-digit lead from fading at home.
Minnesota began in front as they found success early by attacking the lane and draining several threes, sinking nine of their first 14 field goals. Their touch on pull-up jumpers faded midway through the first, and Minnesota finished the first half making only two of their last 15 attempts. Although that funk kept Michigan (13-8, 6-3) within striking distance, Michigan only shot 28 percent from the floor in the first and faced a 31-22 deficit at halftime.
Michigan trimmed the lead as Minnesota's struggles from the floor persisted. Twice in the second half, the Wolverines pulled within 1 and had two chances to tie the game with a three-pointer. After Michigan center Rachel Sheffer missed the second try with five minutes to go, Minnesota guard China Antoine changed the momentum with a lay-up on the other end. Michigan would not come within one possession for the remainder of the game. Not even Katie Loberg and Kiara Buford fouling out affected Minnesota's odds of notching their first conference winning streak as they won the subsequent round of foul-and-chase.
"China was a great leader. She's taken a lot of pride to being our hound on the ball," Borton said.
"We had good shot selection, moved the ball where we wanted to move in the second half. Just didn't make them," said Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth.
While the Gophers are still far behind the Big Ten leaders, their defeat of the Wolverines knocked them out of a first-place tie with Penn State and Wisconsin in the conference standings. Borseth went to his 29 years of experience to address the Wolverines about the implications.
"You lost the game, don't lose the lesson," he said. "I told the kids at the beginning of the year they'd be lucky to win one game. So far, they've won 13."
Gophers head coach Pam Borton said her team forgot what it felt like to a win a game after the Gophers defeated Northwestern Thursday night. Now Minnesota will have to remember what a winning streak feels like after they scraped out a 60-50 win over Michigan Sunday at Williams Arena.
No player scored more than 13 points for the game, but Minnesota (10-12, 2-7) once again took advantage of out-rebounding their opponent, 42-31 in this case. Freshman forward Kionna Kellogg scooped 13 of those and tied her career high in points with 8.
"We were getting outrebounded at halftime because she was on the bench," Borton said. "She brings us a lot of toughness."
The rest of the Gophers followed suit, as they held together to prevent another double-digit lead from fading at home.
Minnesota began in front as they found success early by attacking the lane and draining several threes, sinking nine of their first 14 field goals. Their touch on pull-up jumpers faded midway through the first, and Minnesota finished the first half making only two of their last 15 attempts. Although that funk kept Michigan (13-8, 6-3) within striking distance, Michigan only shot 28 percent from the floor in the first and faced a 31-22 deficit at halftime.
Michigan trimmed the lead as Minnesota's struggles from the floor persisted. Twice in the second half, the Wolverines pulled within 1 and had two chances to tie the game with a three-pointer. After Michigan center Rachel Sheffer missed the second try with five minutes to go, Minnesota guard China Antoine changed the momentum with a lay-up on the other end. Michigan would not come within one possession for the remainder of the game. Not even Katie Loberg and Kiara Buford fouling out affected Minnesota's odds of notching their first conference winning streak as they won the subsequent round of foul-and-chase.
"China was a great leader. She's taken a lot of pride to being our hound on the ball," Borton said.
"We had good shot selection, moved the ball where we wanted to move in the second half. Just didn't make them," said Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth.
While the Gophers are still far behind the Big Ten leaders, their defeat of the Wolverines knocked them out of a first-place tie with Penn State and Wisconsin in the conference standings. Borseth went to his 29 years of experience to address the Wolverines about the implications.
"You lost the game, don't lose the lesson," he said. "I told the kids at the beginning of the year they'd be lucky to win one game. So far, they've won 13."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Gophers crack egg in win column over Northwestern
BY MIKE PEDEN
RealTime RPI will have to make a few adjustments for Minnesota's status.
Minnesota defied RealTime RPI's prediction of a loss to Northwestern with a 63-58 win Thursday night at Williams Arena, snapping their seven-game losing streak and recharging a restless fan base.
Sophomore forward Katie Loberg fueled the charge with 21 points and seven offensive rebounds before fouling out late, but the game ball may be awarded to freshman forward Kionna Kellogg, whose persistence resulted in a hard-earned eight points and 15 rebounds.
"I owe that to my teammates, who were finding me the open spots," Loberg said.
"They've had a great attitude up to this point," Gophers head coach Pam Borton said. "(Kionna's) skills are catching up. She's playing hard and playing tough."
Overall, the game stayed on script with the series over the last few years, where the score is close and opportunities are limited.
Minnesota (9-12, 1-7) was hesitant on both sides to begin the game, passing the ball yet unable to find a clean look while yielding 13 free throws to an attacking Northwestern (14-7, 3-5) team, who made 11. Those traits, all too common in their seven-game losing streak, kept the 2,891 in attendance quiet in the first 20 minutes. Adding further anxiety was Minnesota going 0-for-3 from the free throw line in the first.
"One of the keys was not fouling and putting them on the line," Borton said. "(Northwestern) really clogged the paint and we took some tough shots."
The story flipped in the second half, with the Gophers beating the Wildcats in the transition game. The key moment came with 8:49 left in the second, when Minnesota trailed 41-40. The Gophers slowly answered with a 12-3 run, and that turned out to be the push they needed.
One more nail-biter came when junior guard Jackie Voigt missed the back end of free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Northwestern a chance to force overtime, only needing a three-pointer. Daninielle Daimant had an open look, but missed, and senior guard China Antoine got the rebound and made two free throws to ice Minnesota's first Big Ten Conference win.
"When you watch them on tape, they're a dangerous team," said Northwestern head coach Jim McKeown.
In the process, the Gophers forced the Wildcats' Meshia Reed and Allison Mocchi to foul out while sinking 18 of 22 free throws in the second half. Northwestern did sink nine of 14 free throws in the second, but Minnesota's 46-34 edge in rebounds nullified that advantage. That included an early second half possession where Minnesota picked up six offensive rebounds.
"They're padding their own stats," Borton joked. Eight of Kellogg's 15 rebounds were on the offensive side of the glass.
"Everybody went off the bench and I didn't even know what to do," said junior guard Kiara Buford on her team's reaction as time expired.
Buford, who made six of 38 shots in her last three home games, had a cathartic performance after a slow start. While her 5-of-11 shooting would be considered standard, she finished with 18 points and made all eight free throws in the second half.
"Bringing the transition, a strength of my game, and having one or two people back, I thought I was pretty good at drawing fouls," Buford said.
Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke played to her All-American candidate form, scoring a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, showcasing her range that has attracted national attention. However, she was the only Northwestern player in double-figures, as the rest of the team made 26 percent of their shots.
"Minnesota outhustled us tonight, got the loose balls. You give up 21 offensive rebounds, you don't deserve to win," McKeown said.
RealTime RPI will have to make a few adjustments for Minnesota's status.
Minnesota defied RealTime RPI's prediction of a loss to Northwestern with a 63-58 win Thursday night at Williams Arena, snapping their seven-game losing streak and recharging a restless fan base.
Sophomore forward Katie Loberg fueled the charge with 21 points and seven offensive rebounds before fouling out late, but the game ball may be awarded to freshman forward Kionna Kellogg, whose persistence resulted in a hard-earned eight points and 15 rebounds.
"I owe that to my teammates, who were finding me the open spots," Loberg said.
"They've had a great attitude up to this point," Gophers head coach Pam Borton said. "(Kionna's) skills are catching up. She's playing hard and playing tough."
Overall, the game stayed on script with the series over the last few years, where the score is close and opportunities are limited.
Minnesota (9-12, 1-7) was hesitant on both sides to begin the game, passing the ball yet unable to find a clean look while yielding 13 free throws to an attacking Northwestern (14-7, 3-5) team, who made 11. Those traits, all too common in their seven-game losing streak, kept the 2,891 in attendance quiet in the first 20 minutes. Adding further anxiety was Minnesota going 0-for-3 from the free throw line in the first.
"One of the keys was not fouling and putting them on the line," Borton said. "(Northwestern) really clogged the paint and we took some tough shots."
The story flipped in the second half, with the Gophers beating the Wildcats in the transition game. The key moment came with 8:49 left in the second, when Minnesota trailed 41-40. The Gophers slowly answered with a 12-3 run, and that turned out to be the push they needed.
One more nail-biter came when junior guard Jackie Voigt missed the back end of free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Northwestern a chance to force overtime, only needing a three-pointer. Daninielle Daimant had an open look, but missed, and senior guard China Antoine got the rebound and made two free throws to ice Minnesota's first Big Ten Conference win.
"When you watch them on tape, they're a dangerous team," said Northwestern head coach Jim McKeown.
In the process, the Gophers forced the Wildcats' Meshia Reed and Allison Mocchi to foul out while sinking 18 of 22 free throws in the second half. Northwestern did sink nine of 14 free throws in the second, but Minnesota's 46-34 edge in rebounds nullified that advantage. That included an early second half possession where Minnesota picked up six offensive rebounds.
"They're padding their own stats," Borton joked. Eight of Kellogg's 15 rebounds were on the offensive side of the glass.
"Everybody went off the bench and I didn't even know what to do," said junior guard Kiara Buford on her team's reaction as time expired.
Buford, who made six of 38 shots in her last three home games, had a cathartic performance after a slow start. While her 5-of-11 shooting would be considered standard, she finished with 18 points and made all eight free throws in the second half.
"Bringing the transition, a strength of my game, and having one or two people back, I thought I was pretty good at drawing fouls," Buford said.
Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke played to her All-American candidate form, scoring a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, showcasing her range that has attracted national attention. However, she was the only Northwestern player in double-figures, as the rest of the team made 26 percent of their shots.
"Minnesota outhustled us tonight, got the loose balls. You give up 21 offensive rebounds, you don't deserve to win," McKeown said.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Gophers get Badgered for sixth straight loss
BY MIKE PEDEN
Minnesota fans expressed concern when, at the start of Big Ten Conference play, the website RealTime RPI predicted their women's basketball team would only win one conference game: at home Thursday night against Wisconsin.
Prior to tip-off, RealTime RPI adjusted that prediction, suggesting Wisconsin would win and Minnesota would finish the season with a goose egg in the conference win column. After the Badgers defeated the Gophers 71-63 at Williams Arena, the site may signal an eerie feeling for the Gopher faithful.
"We had nine turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds. You'd think, having a game like that, you'd win the basketball game," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.
Minnesota (8-11, 0-6) clicked on offense in the first half, building a 16-point lead by capitalizing on their free throws. The Gophers made as many free throws as Leah Cotton scored points, both getting 15 in the first 20 minutes. Taking a 44-30 lead to the locker room at halftime, Minnesota appeared poised to win their first conference game of the season.
"We gave up too many direct-line drives," Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. "Our transition defense was poor, we were late on everything. I told them 'Get there with your feet.' "
Wisconsin (10-9, 5-2) adjusted in the second half by attacking the baseline on offense and crowding the paint on defense. The Badgers took their first lead with 4:37 left in the second on a Lin Zastrow three-point play. Wisconsin never looked back as they limited Minnesota to 19 second half points on 7-of-34 shooting, capping off their second largest come-from-behind win in school history.
"Our defense affected our offense tonight," Borton said.
"We shut the driving lanes down, forced them to kick, and on the kick, we were on their feet." Stone said.
Fueling the Wisconsin surge was St. Paul native Alyssa Karel. The Cretin-Derham Hall standout scored 21 points to notch her 10th consecutive game in double-figures. Zastrow finished with a double-double, getting 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Badgers shot 64 percent from the floor in the second half.
Minnesota guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 24 points, but made just three of 11 second half field goals after going five of seven in the first. No other Minnesota player finished in double-figures.
The Gophers have now lost six straight despite improved ball control over the last few games, forcing Borton's squad to continue searching for a solution in a season of questions. Kiara Buford struggled from the floor again, scoring nine points on 2-of-13 shooting while making just six of 38 shots in her last three home games. In that span, the Gophers have seen leads of 11, 13 and 16 points wasted.
"She's got the ball in her hands a little bit more than she used to," Borton said. "Kiara's doing a lot for us. She's pushing the ball in transition, looking for her shot, she's trying to get some other people shots in transition."
As much as Minnesota would like Buford to add more points, Borton stressed the biggest key to stopping their skid is finding consistency.
"We're a better team than this. We've got to put two halves together," she said.
Minnesota fans expressed concern when, at the start of Big Ten Conference play, the website RealTime RPI predicted their women's basketball team would only win one conference game: at home Thursday night against Wisconsin.
Prior to tip-off, RealTime RPI adjusted that prediction, suggesting Wisconsin would win and Minnesota would finish the season with a goose egg in the conference win column. After the Badgers defeated the Gophers 71-63 at Williams Arena, the site may signal an eerie feeling for the Gopher faithful.
"We had nine turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds. You'd think, having a game like that, you'd win the basketball game," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.
Minnesota (8-11, 0-6) clicked on offense in the first half, building a 16-point lead by capitalizing on their free throws. The Gophers made as many free throws as Leah Cotton scored points, both getting 15 in the first 20 minutes. Taking a 44-30 lead to the locker room at halftime, Minnesota appeared poised to win their first conference game of the season.
"We gave up too many direct-line drives," Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. "Our transition defense was poor, we were late on everything. I told them 'Get there with your feet.' "
Wisconsin (10-9, 5-2) adjusted in the second half by attacking the baseline on offense and crowding the paint on defense. The Badgers took their first lead with 4:37 left in the second on a Lin Zastrow three-point play. Wisconsin never looked back as they limited Minnesota to 19 second half points on 7-of-34 shooting, capping off their second largest come-from-behind win in school history.
"Our defense affected our offense tonight," Borton said.
"We shut the driving lanes down, forced them to kick, and on the kick, we were on their feet." Stone said.
Fueling the Wisconsin surge was St. Paul native Alyssa Karel. The Cretin-Derham Hall standout scored 21 points to notch her 10th consecutive game in double-figures. Zastrow finished with a double-double, getting 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Badgers shot 64 percent from the floor in the second half.
Minnesota guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 24 points, but made just three of 11 second half field goals after going five of seven in the first. No other Minnesota player finished in double-figures.
The Gophers have now lost six straight despite improved ball control over the last few games, forcing Borton's squad to continue searching for a solution in a season of questions. Kiara Buford struggled from the floor again, scoring nine points on 2-of-13 shooting while making just six of 38 shots in her last three home games. In that span, the Gophers have seen leads of 11, 13 and 16 points wasted.
"She's got the ball in her hands a little bit more than she used to," Borton said. "Kiara's doing a lot for us. She's pushing the ball in transition, looking for her shot, she's trying to get some other people shots in transition."
As much as Minnesota would like Buford to add more points, Borton stressed the biggest key to stopping their skid is finding consistency.
"We're a better team than this. We've got to put two halves together," she said.
The week ahead: January 24th-31st
TSB Television will be bringing you a week filled with aura and nostalgia starting next Tuesday, when we offer a bonus game with Hill-Murray taking on Richfield in girls basketball with Classic Suburban Conference implications at stake. Then on Friday, January 28th, we visit Como Park for a St. Paul City Conference battle between Highland Park and Como Park in boys basketball. We wrap up the week with a special presentation on Sunday, January 30th at Williams Arena, as we televise the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher women's basketball alumni game for the first time! To coincide with going "back in the day," TSB Television will also roll back with a throwback design!
You can watch full broadcasts of the Hill-Murray/Richfield and Highland Park/Como Park games on GrandStadium.tv as they're posted to the site, and we'll post the Gopher women's basketball alumni game in its entirety here! DVD copies of all three games will also be available.
Stay tuned for further updates from TSB Television as we continue broadcasting the 2010-11 basketball season. And as always, contact us at thesportsbrain@gmail.com to sponsor a production or have your event televised.
You can watch full broadcasts of the Hill-Murray/Richfield and Highland Park/Como Park games on GrandStadium.tv as they're posted to the site, and we'll post the Gopher women's basketball alumni game in its entirety here! DVD copies of all three games will also be available.
Stay tuned for further updates from TSB Television as we continue broadcasting the 2010-11 basketball season. And as always, contact us at thesportsbrain@gmail.com to sponsor a production or have your event televised.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Gophers fall in hole again with loss to Iowa
BY MIKE PEDEN
The No. 21/22 Iowa Hawkeyes came to Williams Arena as a surprise team in the Big Ten Conference Wednesday night as they battled the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Iowa losing its first two conference games of the season was a shock to Big Ten followers, but Minnesota shocked themselves a second time with another late collapse, losing 63-57. Iowa's (13-3, 1-2) two-game losing streak was snapped while Minnesota (8-8, 0-3) left without a conference victory, losing its third straight.
"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns in the last two-and-a-half minutes," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "We need our freshmen to catch on to things a little bit quicker."
Minnesota started out sluggish, perhaps feeling the ill-effects of Sunday's overtime loss to Indiana. Trailing 16-8 midway through the first half, the Gophers found their agility to make a 22-5 run as they disrupted Iowa's rhythm on offense.
The Hawkeyes had no better luck from three-point range in the first 30 minutes of the game, although guard Kachine Alexander swooped by the Gopher defense until her teammates warmed up.
Trailing by nine, Iowa answered Minnesota's first half run following a media timeout with 7:37 in the second, stringing a 16-5 run capped off by two Kari Hansen free throws to give Iowa the lead with 2:54 remaining.
"We said we couldn't panic," Alexander said. "We just had to execute and get stops. Kali Hansen hit a big three for us to tie the game up and we're like 'We're back, it's time to roll.' "
Iowa rolled late from three-point range, making five of six in their second-half run after sinking two of 15 to start.
In the final minute, China Antoine picked up a steal, but opted for a long two-point shot instead of going one-on-one with Iowa guard Kamille Wahlin. Antoine missed, and following an Iowa shot clock violation that gave Minnesota one more chance to salvage the game, Kiara Buford missed a three-pointer that would have tied the score at 59.
Alexander, a 2007 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret's, sealed the outcome with two free throws. She scored a game-high 20 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Crookston graduate Kamille Wahlin scored 14, including a key three-point basket as the shot clock expired with 4:47 left, and also picked up five assists.
"Kachine willed us to win today," said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. "She had some great penetrations, went to the free throw line and did a great job there." Alexander made all five free throws.
"Kamille is clutch. That's what I call her all the time," Alexander said.
Iowa was also clutch from the free throw line, making 17 of 20 for the game. Minnesota, whose average was 69 percent prior to the game, made just five of 11.
Alexander, one of only two guards to average a double-double in NCAA Division I last season, passed the 1,000-point career plateau for the Hawkeyes. She is one of five Minnesota natives to play college basketball in Iowa City this year, and Bluder has no plans to abandon recruiting in the North Star State.
"Minnesota is a recruiting stockyard. I can't say enough about Kamille, Hannah (Draxten) and Theairra (Taylor)," Alexander said. "When I first came here, it was just two (Minnesotans). It just blossomed. It's just a place where you can get good, quality players."
"They're very fundamental. They work extremely hard. They've got good values and good morals," Bluder said.
Iowa's recent issues surprised many women's basketball fans, after a 12-1 non-conference showing put them in contention to lead the Big Ten race.
With Ohio State paying a visit to Iowa City Saturday, the Hawkeyes hope their road win will be the turning point in their 2010-11 campaign.
"A teammate told me a quote, 'Good athletes have short memories,' " Wahlin said. "No game is ever the same."
Minnesota's second collapse of the week masked a return to form from sophomore guard Leah Cotton, who led the team with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, dazzling the 3,318 in attendance with her runners.
Gophers fans may start asking what is wrong with their top player, Buford. Buford scored 11 points, but made only three field goals in 12 tries, and is just 4-of-25 from the floor in her last two games.
Buford has taken an extra hour of practice to work on her shot, but she has no concern that her stroke has vanished.
"You can't stop shooting. You got to take it in stride and keep putting the ball up," she said.
While Borton was frustrated with Minnesota's issues at closing games this week, she sees consistent energy from her young team as they continue what she calls the learning experience.
"If we keep playing this hard, we'll start winning games pretty quickly," she said.
The No. 21/22 Iowa Hawkeyes came to Williams Arena as a surprise team in the Big Ten Conference Wednesday night as they battled the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Iowa losing its first two conference games of the season was a shock to Big Ten followers, but Minnesota shocked themselves a second time with another late collapse, losing 63-57. Iowa's (13-3, 1-2) two-game losing streak was snapped while Minnesota (8-8, 0-3) left without a conference victory, losing its third straight.
"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns in the last two-and-a-half minutes," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "We need our freshmen to catch on to things a little bit quicker."
Minnesota started out sluggish, perhaps feeling the ill-effects of Sunday's overtime loss to Indiana. Trailing 16-8 midway through the first half, the Gophers found their agility to make a 22-5 run as they disrupted Iowa's rhythm on offense.
The Hawkeyes had no better luck from three-point range in the first 30 minutes of the game, although guard Kachine Alexander swooped by the Gopher defense until her teammates warmed up.
Trailing by nine, Iowa answered Minnesota's first half run following a media timeout with 7:37 in the second, stringing a 16-5 run capped off by two Kari Hansen free throws to give Iowa the lead with 2:54 remaining.
"We said we couldn't panic," Alexander said. "We just had to execute and get stops. Kali Hansen hit a big three for us to tie the game up and we're like 'We're back, it's time to roll.' "
Iowa rolled late from three-point range, making five of six in their second-half run after sinking two of 15 to start.
In the final minute, China Antoine picked up a steal, but opted for a long two-point shot instead of going one-on-one with Iowa guard Kamille Wahlin. Antoine missed, and following an Iowa shot clock violation that gave Minnesota one more chance to salvage the game, Kiara Buford missed a three-pointer that would have tied the score at 59.
Alexander, a 2007 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret's, sealed the outcome with two free throws. She scored a game-high 20 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Crookston graduate Kamille Wahlin scored 14, including a key three-point basket as the shot clock expired with 4:47 left, and also picked up five assists.
"Kachine willed us to win today," said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. "She had some great penetrations, went to the free throw line and did a great job there." Alexander made all five free throws.
"Kamille is clutch. That's what I call her all the time," Alexander said.
Iowa was also clutch from the free throw line, making 17 of 20 for the game. Minnesota, whose average was 69 percent prior to the game, made just five of 11.
Alexander, one of only two guards to average a double-double in NCAA Division I last season, passed the 1,000-point career plateau for the Hawkeyes. She is one of five Minnesota natives to play college basketball in Iowa City this year, and Bluder has no plans to abandon recruiting in the North Star State.
"Minnesota is a recruiting stockyard. I can't say enough about Kamille, Hannah (Draxten) and Theairra (Taylor)," Alexander said. "When I first came here, it was just two (Minnesotans). It just blossomed. It's just a place where you can get good, quality players."
"They're very fundamental. They work extremely hard. They've got good values and good morals," Bluder said.
Iowa's recent issues surprised many women's basketball fans, after a 12-1 non-conference showing put them in contention to lead the Big Ten race.
With Ohio State paying a visit to Iowa City Saturday, the Hawkeyes hope their road win will be the turning point in their 2010-11 campaign.
"A teammate told me a quote, 'Good athletes have short memories,' " Wahlin said. "No game is ever the same."
Minnesota's second collapse of the week masked a return to form from sophomore guard Leah Cotton, who led the team with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, dazzling the 3,318 in attendance with her runners.
Gophers fans may start asking what is wrong with their top player, Buford. Buford scored 11 points, but made only three field goals in 12 tries, and is just 4-of-25 from the floor in her last two games.
Buford has taken an extra hour of practice to work on her shot, but she has no concern that her stroke has vanished.
"You can't stop shooting. You got to take it in stride and keep putting the ball up," she said.
While Borton was frustrated with Minnesota's issues at closing games this week, she sees consistent energy from her young team as they continue what she calls the learning experience.
"If we keep playing this hard, we'll start winning games pretty quickly," she said.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Antoine's day not enough to put Hoosiers away
BY MIKE PEDEN
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team went in to their Big Ten home opener with Indiana determined to improve their offense after putting up a dud in their loss to Illinois on Thursday.
The Gophers fixed those issues, but found new problems with their defense and top scorers as they dropped their home opener in overtime against the Hoosiers 80-79 Sunday at Williams Arena.
Gophers guard Kiara Buford made only one field goal in 13 tries, while sophomore guard Leah Cotton made two-of-six from the floor. Senior guard China Antoine posted a career-high 21 points and six steals, but did not score a point in the final 8:38 of the game.
"We've got to put our foot down and protect our home court," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton, who watched a four-game home winning streak snap. "We missed breakaway lay-ups. We missed pull-up jumpers when we were wide open. We didn't finish around the rim."
Indiana (8-6, 2-0) refused to give in to the young Minnesota (8-7, 0-2) squad, finding an answer for every run Minnesota got. With 1:29 left in the game, senior forward Hope Elam tied the game at 70 with a three-pointer, part of a 12-2 run created by Indiana crashing the boards on offense for second-chance points.
"I told them not to worry about the score," said Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
Sophomore forward Aulani Sinclair then had a chance to give Indiana their first lead of the second, but bricked a three from the corner. Minnesota guard Brianna Mastey got the rebound and was then fouled, making both her free throws with Minnesota in the double-bonus. Hoosier guard Jori Davis responded with a lay-up from the left side, tying up the score again with 29.4 seconds to go.
Mastey and Kristin Dockery missed two lay-up attempts, giving Indiana one more shot at a road victory, but they failed to find a target on the final possession of regulation. The Gophers did not score a field goal in the last six minutes of the second half.
The Gophers appeared to run on fumes in the extra stanza, although Borton attributed their late performance to growing more timid and not attacking the paint, where the Gophers outscored the Hoosiers 28-20. By the time Mastey sank a three-pointer, cutting a four-point Indiana lead to one, only one-tenth of a second was left, too late to salvage a win.
"We're not the most talented team in the Big Ten. We certainly aren't going to be the fastest or the tallest, but nobody's ever going to outwork us," Legette-Jack said.
No one better reflected their work ethic than Davis and Elam. Davis fell two points short of a career-high, scoring a game-high 31 points, including 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Elam finished with 23 points, sinking five of six three-point attempts and making all six free throws.
The loss overshadowed improved ball control, with Minnesota committing just 12 turnovers to Indiana's 20.
"We were trying to play a little too safe and not doing the things we were doing in the first half of the game," Antoine said.
Indiana's Georgie Jones, making her first visit to Minnesota since she helped St. Paul Central win the class AAAA state championship in 2008, fouled out with just two points from the free throw line. Buford, Jones' high school teammate at the time, coincidentally finished with the same total for Minnesota.
The Gophers return to Williams Wednesday night to host the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will come in with a lot of fire after losing their first two conference games of the season.
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team went in to their Big Ten home opener with Indiana determined to improve their offense after putting up a dud in their loss to Illinois on Thursday.
The Gophers fixed those issues, but found new problems with their defense and top scorers as they dropped their home opener in overtime against the Hoosiers 80-79 Sunday at Williams Arena.
Gophers guard Kiara Buford made only one field goal in 13 tries, while sophomore guard Leah Cotton made two-of-six from the floor. Senior guard China Antoine posted a career-high 21 points and six steals, but did not score a point in the final 8:38 of the game.
"We've got to put our foot down and protect our home court," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton, who watched a four-game home winning streak snap. "We missed breakaway lay-ups. We missed pull-up jumpers when we were wide open. We didn't finish around the rim."
Indiana (8-6, 2-0) refused to give in to the young Minnesota (8-7, 0-2) squad, finding an answer for every run Minnesota got. With 1:29 left in the game, senior forward Hope Elam tied the game at 70 with a three-pointer, part of a 12-2 run created by Indiana crashing the boards on offense for second-chance points.
"I told them not to worry about the score," said Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
Sophomore forward Aulani Sinclair then had a chance to give Indiana their first lead of the second, but bricked a three from the corner. Minnesota guard Brianna Mastey got the rebound and was then fouled, making both her free throws with Minnesota in the double-bonus. Hoosier guard Jori Davis responded with a lay-up from the left side, tying up the score again with 29.4 seconds to go.
Mastey and Kristin Dockery missed two lay-up attempts, giving Indiana one more shot at a road victory, but they failed to find a target on the final possession of regulation. The Gophers did not score a field goal in the last six minutes of the second half.
The Gophers appeared to run on fumes in the extra stanza, although Borton attributed their late performance to growing more timid and not attacking the paint, where the Gophers outscored the Hoosiers 28-20. By the time Mastey sank a three-pointer, cutting a four-point Indiana lead to one, only one-tenth of a second was left, too late to salvage a win.
"We're not the most talented team in the Big Ten. We certainly aren't going to be the fastest or the tallest, but nobody's ever going to outwork us," Legette-Jack said.
No one better reflected their work ethic than Davis and Elam. Davis fell two points short of a career-high, scoring a game-high 31 points, including 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Elam finished with 23 points, sinking five of six three-point attempts and making all six free throws.
The loss overshadowed improved ball control, with Minnesota committing just 12 turnovers to Indiana's 20.
"We were trying to play a little too safe and not doing the things we were doing in the first half of the game," Antoine said.
Indiana's Georgie Jones, making her first visit to Minnesota since she helped St. Paul Central win the class AAAA state championship in 2008, fouled out with just two points from the free throw line. Buford, Jones' high school teammate at the time, coincidentally finished with the same total for Minnesota.
The Gophers return to Williams Wednesday night to host the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will come in with a lot of fire after losing their first two conference games of the season.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Gopher posts lay victory foundation
BY MIKE PEDEN
University of Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said the biggest challenge leading her Gophers so far this season is the lack of team chemistry. The players get along splendidly, but she noted injuries that forced her marquee players to sit out a few games prevented her from seeing Minnesota's abilities at full strength.
Borton faced that scenario again Wednesday night against Northern Arizona at Williams Arena, as Jackie Voigt sat with a twisted ankle. Borton went with two posts in her starting five, and they delivered under the circumstances. Sophomore forward Katie Loberg removed any questions about her previous injuries with a career-high 20 points, and senior center Kristen Dockery got her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds as Minnesota defeated Northern Arizona 82-74.
"When you have two bigs in there, it puts a height disadvantage for the other team," Loberg said.
"My teammates got me the ball and put me in position to score, and rebounding is something that I need to do for this team, so I focused on that," Dockery said.
Once again, the Gophers showcased their ad-libbing skills, which could give Borton a plethora of combinations at her disposal when Big Ten Conference play starts next Thursday against Illinois.
"We had one day to prepare for this," Borton said. "It's the first time that Loberg's played on the wing in our zone. Things didn't look perfect out there, but I like the option."
Minnesota's (8-5, 0-0) offense helped disguise the team's 22 turnovers, which were caused by Northern Arizona's (4-8, 0-0) strategy of combating size with athleticism. Minnesota answered by making 53.8% of their field goals and out-rebounding Northern Arizona 42-31. Four Gophers finished in double-figures.
However, their offensive production was not enough to pull away from the Lumberjacks, who fought off every Gophers run. Northern Arizona guard Amy Patton scored a game-high 23 points, including a three-pointer with 2:55 left in the second half that left Minnesota with a thin 70-68 lead. Kiara Buford responded with a three-point play, capping off a 16-point night, and the Lumberjacks would not get within one possession again.
The dagger was delayed though, not coming until there was 17 seconds left. Minnesota led 78-74 but was under pressure from Northern Arizona's full-court defense. Brianna Mastey found a wide-open Loberg down court on an inbounds play. Loberg would score a three-point play after drawing a foul.
"They were really pressuring everybody and I just slipped through off a screen. Kind of like a pick and roll," she said.
"Most of those kids playing a lot of minutes for us are freshmen and sophomores. They just don't know everything yet," said Northern Arizona head coach Laurie Kelly, whose ties to Minnesota include a standout career playing for the University of St. Thomas during the early 1990s.
"They're late on a rotation or not sure where to go. We gave up a lot of lay-ups," she said.
Minnesota goes on Christmas break with a nearly identical mark in non-conference play compared to last season, when they started 8-4. While the stat sheet may not look impressive to fans looking for a rebound from a rough 2009-10 campaign, Borton said getting a healthy team will allow her Gophers to grow in ways unavailable to them with a senior-heavy team.
"You see about 30 percent of what this team can actually do, but we're still finding a way to win," she said.
The win was Borton's 173rd in her coaching career at Minnesota, giving her the record for most career victories with the program. The previous mark was 172, set by Ellen Mosher-Hanson from 1977-87. Although Borton's accomplishment was recognized following the game, her post-game speech was centered on preparing for the Big Ten schedule.
"When the season's over, I'll have a chance to enjoy it," she said. "It's probably the furthest thing from my mind."
University of Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said the biggest challenge leading her Gophers so far this season is the lack of team chemistry. The players get along splendidly, but she noted injuries that forced her marquee players to sit out a few games prevented her from seeing Minnesota's abilities at full strength.
Borton faced that scenario again Wednesday night against Northern Arizona at Williams Arena, as Jackie Voigt sat with a twisted ankle. Borton went with two posts in her starting five, and they delivered under the circumstances. Sophomore forward Katie Loberg removed any questions about her previous injuries with a career-high 20 points, and senior center Kristen Dockery got her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds as Minnesota defeated Northern Arizona 82-74.
"When you have two bigs in there, it puts a height disadvantage for the other team," Loberg said.
"My teammates got me the ball and put me in position to score, and rebounding is something that I need to do for this team, so I focused on that," Dockery said.
Once again, the Gophers showcased their ad-libbing skills, which could give Borton a plethora of combinations at her disposal when Big Ten Conference play starts next Thursday against Illinois.
"We had one day to prepare for this," Borton said. "It's the first time that Loberg's played on the wing in our zone. Things didn't look perfect out there, but I like the option."
Minnesota's (8-5, 0-0) offense helped disguise the team's 22 turnovers, which were caused by Northern Arizona's (4-8, 0-0) strategy of combating size with athleticism. Minnesota answered by making 53.8% of their field goals and out-rebounding Northern Arizona 42-31. Four Gophers finished in double-figures.
However, their offensive production was not enough to pull away from the Lumberjacks, who fought off every Gophers run. Northern Arizona guard Amy Patton scored a game-high 23 points, including a three-pointer with 2:55 left in the second half that left Minnesota with a thin 70-68 lead. Kiara Buford responded with a three-point play, capping off a 16-point night, and the Lumberjacks would not get within one possession again.
The dagger was delayed though, not coming until there was 17 seconds left. Minnesota led 78-74 but was under pressure from Northern Arizona's full-court defense. Brianna Mastey found a wide-open Loberg down court on an inbounds play. Loberg would score a three-point play after drawing a foul.
"They were really pressuring everybody and I just slipped through off a screen. Kind of like a pick and roll," she said.
"Most of those kids playing a lot of minutes for us are freshmen and sophomores. They just don't know everything yet," said Northern Arizona head coach Laurie Kelly, whose ties to Minnesota include a standout career playing for the University of St. Thomas during the early 1990s.
"They're late on a rotation or not sure where to go. We gave up a lot of lay-ups," she said.
Minnesota goes on Christmas break with a nearly identical mark in non-conference play compared to last season, when they started 8-4. While the stat sheet may not look impressive to fans looking for a rebound from a rough 2009-10 campaign, Borton said getting a healthy team will allow her Gophers to grow in ways unavailable to them with a senior-heavy team.
"You see about 30 percent of what this team can actually do, but we're still finding a way to win," she said.
The win was Borton's 173rd in her coaching career at Minnesota, giving her the record for most career victories with the program. The previous mark was 172, set by Ellen Mosher-Hanson from 1977-87. Although Borton's accomplishment was recognized following the game, her post-game speech was centered on preparing for the Big Ten schedule.
"When the season's over, I'll have a chance to enjoy it," she said. "It's probably the furthest thing from my mind."
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Gophers swab win thanks to Cotton's 26
BY MIKE PEDEN
When Minnesota head coach Pam Borton scheduled Southern University for the 2010-11 season, she hoped it would be a fun night where she would get to send in her bench players, especially since the game was preceded by Baylor. The Gophers were crushed 103-56 in that contest.
Instead, Borton discovered how much the absence of post player Katie Loberg impacts her Gophers. Minnesota fought off a Southern defense that forced 23 turnovers while sophomore guard Leah Cotton netted a career-high 26 points to grind out a 63-48 win Thursday night at Williams Arena.
"(Kristen) Dockery and Jackie (Voigt) are doing an outstanding job. They're bringing their lunch pails every single day. We need another athletic kid on the floor, and it's Loberg," Borton said. "She runs the floor, she can score over the top of people. We're missing her a lot."
Borton did find the fun she was looking for in the post-game press conference as she, Cotton and Kiara Buford had difficulty setting up their chairs.
"We just had another turnover trying to put this chair down, so we got 24 turnovers for the game," Borton joked.
Southern (2-5, 0-0) never led during the game, going scoreless in the first five minutes, but they did trim the margin to one with 2:30 in the first half before Minnesota finished with a 7-0 run. Had Southern not struggled in the second half, where they made just eight field goals in 28 tries, the Jaguars could have positioned themselves to take an upset win back to their campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Fatigue was most evident late. Minnesota (6-4, 0-0) guard China Antoine picked up two key steals in the closing minutes and Buford added a block for good measure.
"We wanted to switch it up, play man-to-man, then play a little zone," said Southern assistant coach Carlos Funchess, describing Southern's "hurricane" defense.
"When you exert a lot of energy on defense, it's going to take its toll. We didn't get in good position; a lot of reaching and fouling. We've got to improve our conditioning," he said.
"They were in a 1-3-1 half-court defense and we made it a lot harder than it needed to be," Borton said. "Once we got ball reversal, we had Leah attacking the basket. She kept us alive and afloat."
Cotton had to work for every last point, making only five of 12 shots, while two lay-up attempts were negated by charging fouls. Her 26th point finally came with 1:06 remaining in the game, when Cotton made the last of her 13 free throws after drawing a foul. Her 13 makes, along with five rebounds, also bested her previous career marks (12 and 4 respectively).
While Cotton is still looking to make smarter decisions on the court, her aggressive style is responsible for her blooming offensive production. In the last four games, the Kansas City native has scored 20 or more points three times. Cotton's averaging 15.5 points per game after 10 games this season, nearly five times more than last season's average of 3.4 per contest.
"Last year, I didn't really believe in myself. This year, I know I have a completely different role I need to take on," she said.
Loberg remains day-to-day after suffering an Achilles strain in Minnesota's win over Virginia Tech last Thursday.
When Minnesota head coach Pam Borton scheduled Southern University for the 2010-11 season, she hoped it would be a fun night where she would get to send in her bench players, especially since the game was preceded by Baylor. The Gophers were crushed 103-56 in that contest.
Instead, Borton discovered how much the absence of post player Katie Loberg impacts her Gophers. Minnesota fought off a Southern defense that forced 23 turnovers while sophomore guard Leah Cotton netted a career-high 26 points to grind out a 63-48 win Thursday night at Williams Arena.
"(Kristen) Dockery and Jackie (Voigt) are doing an outstanding job. They're bringing their lunch pails every single day. We need another athletic kid on the floor, and it's Loberg," Borton said. "She runs the floor, she can score over the top of people. We're missing her a lot."
Borton did find the fun she was looking for in the post-game press conference as she, Cotton and Kiara Buford had difficulty setting up their chairs.
"We just had another turnover trying to put this chair down, so we got 24 turnovers for the game," Borton joked.
Southern (2-5, 0-0) never led during the game, going scoreless in the first five minutes, but they did trim the margin to one with 2:30 in the first half before Minnesota finished with a 7-0 run. Had Southern not struggled in the second half, where they made just eight field goals in 28 tries, the Jaguars could have positioned themselves to take an upset win back to their campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Fatigue was most evident late. Minnesota (6-4, 0-0) guard China Antoine picked up two key steals in the closing minutes and Buford added a block for good measure.
"We wanted to switch it up, play man-to-man, then play a little zone," said Southern assistant coach Carlos Funchess, describing Southern's "hurricane" defense.
"When you exert a lot of energy on defense, it's going to take its toll. We didn't get in good position; a lot of reaching and fouling. We've got to improve our conditioning," he said.
"They were in a 1-3-1 half-court defense and we made it a lot harder than it needed to be," Borton said. "Once we got ball reversal, we had Leah attacking the basket. She kept us alive and afloat."
Cotton had to work for every last point, making only five of 12 shots, while two lay-up attempts were negated by charging fouls. Her 26th point finally came with 1:06 remaining in the game, when Cotton made the last of her 13 free throws after drawing a foul. Her 13 makes, along with five rebounds, also bested her previous career marks (12 and 4 respectively).
While Cotton is still looking to make smarter decisions on the court, her aggressive style is responsible for her blooming offensive production. In the last four games, the Kansas City native has scored 20 or more points three times. Cotton's averaging 15.5 points per game after 10 games this season, nearly five times more than last season's average of 3.4 per contest.
"Last year, I didn't really believe in myself. This year, I know I have a completely different role I need to take on," she said.
Loberg remains day-to-day after suffering an Achilles strain in Minnesota's win over Virginia Tech last Thursday.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Buford's career night ices Gophers win
BY MIKE PEDEN
The 2,709 who attended Thursday night's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between Minnesota and Virginia Tech at Williams Arena got a taste of the chilly Twin Cities weather inside.
The Gophers were cold from the floor compared to the previous games, making just 41% of their field goals, less than their average of 48%. However, fans would never know it watching junior guard Kiara Buford, who scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Her cool demeanor in a tight game helped the Gophers beat Virginia Tech 63-58. Buford's previous career high was 24.
Buford's timing proved vital for Minnesota (5-3, 0-0), as no other Gopher finished in double-figures with Virginia Tech's (4-3, 0-0) zone defense stumping Minnesota until late in the second half.
"Kiara did a lot to create her own shots," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "She does a great job making plays within our system. We've got to get more people to do that."
"I got a little excited in the beginning because I thought I was open," Buford said. "When we move the ball around and if I can keep my dribble, I can find seams."
Minnesota built a 23-6 lead midway through the first half as Virginia Tech was unable to put virtually any shot down, but the Hokies found their stroke to close the half with an 18-7 run. Their zone defense and offensive penetration, coupled with sloppy Minnesota turnovers late in the second, kept the result in doubt through the final minute. With the score at 61-58, Buford iced the game with two free throws after drawing a Virginia Tech foul.
While Borton was disappointed with her team giving up 32 points in the paint to Virginia Tech, the Hokies' inside game was somewhat muted, making just 50% of their short-range shots.
"We did a great job of finding a way to win," Borton said. "If you put us in this situation last year, we would have lost. I'm happy that we're disappointed with a win, because that shows us that we have higher expectations for our team."
Although Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger was unable to take in the happiness of a victory, she was pleased with the Hokies closing a 17-point deficit to 1 early in the second without their top scorer, Shanel Harrison. Sophomore Aerial Wilson led Virginia Tech with 14 points off the bench and sophomore guard Alyssa Fenyn added 12.
"We've got some reserves that are coming in finding a way to step up and score when we're short personnel-wise. I'm encouraged by the gut and determination this team showed," Dunkenberger said.
Minnesota will seek to polish their skill for their toughest road game this season, when they visit #2 Baylor for the inaugural Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge before returning home next Thursday against Southern.
The 2,709 who attended Thursday night's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between Minnesota and Virginia Tech at Williams Arena got a taste of the chilly Twin Cities weather inside.
The Gophers were cold from the floor compared to the previous games, making just 41% of their field goals, less than their average of 48%. However, fans would never know it watching junior guard Kiara Buford, who scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Her cool demeanor in a tight game helped the Gophers beat Virginia Tech 63-58. Buford's previous career high was 24.
Buford's timing proved vital for Minnesota (5-3, 0-0), as no other Gopher finished in double-figures with Virginia Tech's (4-3, 0-0) zone defense stumping Minnesota until late in the second half.
"Kiara did a lot to create her own shots," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "She does a great job making plays within our system. We've got to get more people to do that."
"I got a little excited in the beginning because I thought I was open," Buford said. "When we move the ball around and if I can keep my dribble, I can find seams."
Minnesota built a 23-6 lead midway through the first half as Virginia Tech was unable to put virtually any shot down, but the Hokies found their stroke to close the half with an 18-7 run. Their zone defense and offensive penetration, coupled with sloppy Minnesota turnovers late in the second, kept the result in doubt through the final minute. With the score at 61-58, Buford iced the game with two free throws after drawing a Virginia Tech foul.
While Borton was disappointed with her team giving up 32 points in the paint to Virginia Tech, the Hokies' inside game was somewhat muted, making just 50% of their short-range shots.
"We did a great job of finding a way to win," Borton said. "If you put us in this situation last year, we would have lost. I'm happy that we're disappointed with a win, because that shows us that we have higher expectations for our team."
Although Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger was unable to take in the happiness of a victory, she was pleased with the Hokies closing a 17-point deficit to 1 early in the second without their top scorer, Shanel Harrison. Sophomore Aerial Wilson led Virginia Tech with 14 points off the bench and sophomore guard Alyssa Fenyn added 12.
"We've got some reserves that are coming in finding a way to step up and score when we're short personnel-wise. I'm encouraged by the gut and determination this team showed," Dunkenberger said.
Minnesota will seek to polish their skill for their toughest road game this season, when they visit #2 Baylor for the inaugural Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge before returning home next Thursday against Southern.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Gopher women unable to transition with Dayton
BY MIKE PEDEN
Minnesota head coach Pam Borton knew the Dayton Flyers, her opponent in the Subway Classic championship Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena, would use a fast tempo that thrived on transition buckets.
Unfortunately, Dayton's players found themselves flying all over the Gophers in a 97-81 loss in front of 3,086 who braved the aftermath of a statewide ice storm.
"Are we too slow? Are we tired? I've got to watch the film, but I was very aware of that happening," Borton said.
While Minnesota (3-2, 0-0) scored more points than they did in their 76-53 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee Saturday, the game hinged on a 6:53 stretch in the first half in which the Gophers missed 12 straight shots. Dayton (2-2, 0-0) capitalized with a 15-0 run that turned a three-point lead to 18 and varied little for the remainder of the game.
The big factor preventing a Minnesota comeback was Dayton scoring seven field goals within 10 seconds of a Gophers basket during the game.
"It's a style of play I used to use when I was at Marquette," said Dayton head coach Jim Jabir. "We were concerned about (Minnesota's) transition, but I was very happy with our pace."
Dayton junior guard Patrice Lalor scored a game-high 25 points after tallying just 18 in her first three games. Junior foward Justine Raterman added 21.
"I've been begging (Lalor) to do this since she came to school," Jabir said. "The first thing I said to her after the game was 'I expect this next game too,' and she said 'Coach, I'm trying.' "
Dayton silenced the crowd with their dominance, but one positive Gophers fans can take from their five-game homestand to open the season is Kiara Buford's scoring consistency. The junior guard led the team Sunday with 18 points, close to her average.
The hometown crowd got another scare in the first half, when Brianna Mastey injured her right leg and was taken out of the game. No updates were given as of Sunday night, but Mastey did return to the bench early in the second half.
Minnesota packs up for their first road trip of the season, playing a pair of games in the Nugget Classic at Reno, Nevada. Their opening match Friday pits them against San Diego State.
Minnesota head coach Pam Borton knew the Dayton Flyers, her opponent in the Subway Classic championship Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena, would use a fast tempo that thrived on transition buckets.
Unfortunately, Dayton's players found themselves flying all over the Gophers in a 97-81 loss in front of 3,086 who braved the aftermath of a statewide ice storm.
"Are we too slow? Are we tired? I've got to watch the film, but I was very aware of that happening," Borton said.
While Minnesota (3-2, 0-0) scored more points than they did in their 76-53 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee Saturday, the game hinged on a 6:53 stretch in the first half in which the Gophers missed 12 straight shots. Dayton (2-2, 0-0) capitalized with a 15-0 run that turned a three-point lead to 18 and varied little for the remainder of the game.
The big factor preventing a Minnesota comeback was Dayton scoring seven field goals within 10 seconds of a Gophers basket during the game.
"It's a style of play I used to use when I was at Marquette," said Dayton head coach Jim Jabir. "We were concerned about (Minnesota's) transition, but I was very happy with our pace."
Dayton junior guard Patrice Lalor scored a game-high 25 points after tallying just 18 in her first three games. Junior foward Justine Raterman added 21.
"I've been begging (Lalor) to do this since she came to school," Jabir said. "The first thing I said to her after the game was 'I expect this next game too,' and she said 'Coach, I'm trying.' "
Dayton silenced the crowd with their dominance, but one positive Gophers fans can take from their five-game homestand to open the season is Kiara Buford's scoring consistency. The junior guard led the team Sunday with 18 points, close to her average.
The hometown crowd got another scare in the first half, when Brianna Mastey injured her right leg and was taken out of the game. No updates were given as of Sunday night, but Mastey did return to the bench early in the second half.
Minnesota packs up for their first road trip of the season, playing a pair of games in the Nugget Classic at Reno, Nevada. Their opening match Friday pits them against San Diego State.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Antoine's six treys nets Super Six win
BY MIKE PEDEN
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team hosted the first game of the newly-minted Super Six series Wednesday night at Williams Arena against Pittsburgh.
The series, designed to create more marquis matches among the six power conferences in collegiate sports, could be a quick favorite for Gopher senior guard China Antoine. She nailed six three-pointers, giving the Gophers enough of a spark to beat Pittsburgh 73-63.
The Gophers (2-1, 0-0) trailed for nearly the entire first half as they struggled to find their shot, despite not going down by more than six points the entire game. Trailing 34-30 with just over two minutes remaining in the half, Minnesota ended with an 11-0 run and took the lead for good on Antoine's second triple. She finished the game with a career-high 18 points and five assists.
"When I hit the shot, I think we had momentum," Antoine said.
Pittsburgh (1-1, 0-0) made one last push to tie the game at 41 early in the second half, but Minnesota answered with a 9-0 run. Coupled with a stingy Minnesota zone defense that allowed just four Pittsburgh three-pointers in 20 attempts, the Gophers made sure no nails were bitten compared to Sunday's close loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay.
"It's a great sign of a very tight team," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton.
Cohesion, an early-season goal for Borton, started to show in Minnesota's third game of the season. The Gophers tallied 20 assists as a team to Pittsburgh's nine while they trimmed their turnovers from 27 in Sunday's game to 18.
"Minnesota took our posts out of the game," said Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato. "They walked us off the line, they walked us off the block. (Minnesota) has tremendous size."
What may have gone unnoticed to the 2,572 fans in attendance were solid showings from center Kristen Dockery and forward Brianna Mastey.
Dockery, filling in for an injured Katie Loberg, scored a career-high eight points and tied a career high in rebounds with nine in 30 minutes of play, also a career high.
"My team needed me to step up today. I just had to be ready to go," she said.
Mastey, who struggled to find offensive production in her first two seasons, notched a career-high 10 points while adding seven rebounds.
"Brianna continues to grow; she got off to a slow start tonight, I said something when she came out and she went in with a vengeance," Borton said.
Pittsburgh senior Brittaney Thomas scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Loberg, who injured her left knee Sunday, had an MRI revealing no serious damage. She is listed as day-to-day, although Borton hopes Loberg can return in time for the Subway Classic that starts Saturday.
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team hosted the first game of the newly-minted Super Six series Wednesday night at Williams Arena against Pittsburgh.
The series, designed to create more marquis matches among the six power conferences in collegiate sports, could be a quick favorite for Gopher senior guard China Antoine. She nailed six three-pointers, giving the Gophers enough of a spark to beat Pittsburgh 73-63.
The Gophers (2-1, 0-0) trailed for nearly the entire first half as they struggled to find their shot, despite not going down by more than six points the entire game. Trailing 34-30 with just over two minutes remaining in the half, Minnesota ended with an 11-0 run and took the lead for good on Antoine's second triple. She finished the game with a career-high 18 points and five assists.
"When I hit the shot, I think we had momentum," Antoine said.
Pittsburgh (1-1, 0-0) made one last push to tie the game at 41 early in the second half, but Minnesota answered with a 9-0 run. Coupled with a stingy Minnesota zone defense that allowed just four Pittsburgh three-pointers in 20 attempts, the Gophers made sure no nails were bitten compared to Sunday's close loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay.
"It's a great sign of a very tight team," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton.
Cohesion, an early-season goal for Borton, started to show in Minnesota's third game of the season. The Gophers tallied 20 assists as a team to Pittsburgh's nine while they trimmed their turnovers from 27 in Sunday's game to 18.
"Minnesota took our posts out of the game," said Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato. "They walked us off the line, they walked us off the block. (Minnesota) has tremendous size."
What may have gone unnoticed to the 2,572 fans in attendance were solid showings from center Kristen Dockery and forward Brianna Mastey.
Dockery, filling in for an injured Katie Loberg, scored a career-high eight points and tied a career high in rebounds with nine in 30 minutes of play, also a career high.
"My team needed me to step up today. I just had to be ready to go," she said.
Mastey, who struggled to find offensive production in her first two seasons, notched a career-high 10 points while adding seven rebounds.
"Brianna continues to grow; she got off to a slow start tonight, I said something when she came out and she went in with a vengeance," Borton said.
Pittsburgh senior Brittaney Thomas scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Loberg, who injured her left knee Sunday, had an MRI revealing no serious damage. She is listed as day-to-day, although Borton hopes Loberg can return in time for the Subway Classic that starts Saturday.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gopher women "turn over" chance at weekend sweep
BY MIKE PEDEN
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team was unable to mask their growing pains in a 79-75 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the championship game of the Best Buy Classic Sunday at Williams Arena.
Five Green Bay players finished in double-figures as they took advantage of Minnesota miscues on defense and ball control, scoring several back-door lay-ups in the first half and forcing 27 turnovers throughout the game.
Green Bay, ranked 2nd by ESPN among mid-majors, had to fight off two Gophers comebacks after building an 11-point lead in the first half and 16 in the second.
The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team was unable to mask their growing pains in a 79-75 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the championship game of the Best Buy Classic Sunday at Williams Arena.
Five Green Bay players finished in double-figures as they took advantage of Minnesota miscues on defense and ball control, scoring several back-door lay-ups in the first half and forcing 27 turnovers throughout the game.
Green Bay, ranked 2nd by ESPN among mid-majors, had to fight off two Gophers comebacks after building an 11-point lead in the first half and 16 in the second.
"We stopped getting back on defense," said Green Bay head coach Matt Bollant. "We missed a couple of lay-ups; your missed shot leads to their fast break."
Both times, the Gophers cut the margin to two and late in the second, Minnesota had a chance to tie. However, with 30 seconds left, junior guard Kiara Buford could not grasp a missed jumper from Phoenix forward Julie Wojta. Sarah Eichler got the ball, forcing Buford and the Gophers to play foul-and-chase, and Green Bay finished the job from the free throw line.
Both times, the Gophers cut the margin to two and late in the second, Minnesota had a chance to tie. However, with 30 seconds left, junior guard Kiara Buford could not grasp a missed jumper from Phoenix forward Julie Wojta. Sarah Eichler got the ball, forcing Buford and the Gophers to play foul-and-chase, and Green Bay finished the job from the free throw line.
"They caught us off guard," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "Some of our players played a lot of minutes, they took a rest for a second, that's when (Green Bay) took advantage."
While Borton hates losing, she saw Minnesota's performance as a big character-building moment early in the season.
While Borton hates losing, she saw Minnesota's performance as a big character-building moment early in the season.
"We were forced to play some freshmen that aren't ready to play in games like this. They played their butts off," she said.
Bollant, a Winona State graduate, said the Phoenix weekend sweep continues their mission of representing the mid-majors that began with their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history last season. Their qualification was also the first for a Horizon League school.
Bollant, a Winona State graduate, said the Phoenix weekend sweep continues their mission of representing the mid-majors that began with their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history last season. Their qualification was also the first for a Horizon League school.
"Last year, we beat DePaul, Wisconsin and Marquette. We got everybody back from that team. We have the ability to go and make it happen," he said.
Gophers sophomore guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, saying her confidence is much higher than last year after finishing the first weekend making 15 of her 18 shots. Buford added 22 points.
Gophers sophomore guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, saying her confidence is much higher than last year after finishing the first weekend making 15 of her 18 shots. Buford added 22 points.
"Cotton's going to make them a better team. If Cotton can do that for them, they're going to win some games in the Big Ten," Bollant said.
Higher scoring figures may be common for the 2010-11 season. The Gophers sank 53 percent of their shots in Sunday's loss after making 60 percent in their first game against Northern Illinois. Continuing to attack the post, the young Gophers team is also eager to develop an inside connection with themselves.
Higher scoring figures may be common for the 2010-11 season. The Gophers sank 53 percent of their shots in Sunday's loss after making 60 percent in their first game against Northern Illinois. Continuing to attack the post, the young Gophers team is also eager to develop an inside connection with themselves.
"We're our biggest supporters on the court," Buford said. "We're constantly huddling, telling each other what we need to do."
However, the Gophers may need to make a few unplanned adjustments. Sophomore center Katie Loberg was taken out of the game in the first half after injuring her left knee following a Brianna Mastey lay-up. Loberg needed assistance to get off the court. Her status was unknown as of Sunday night.
The Gophers continue their five-game opening homestand Wednesday night when they host Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. in Williams Arena.
However, the Gophers may need to make a few unplanned adjustments. Sophomore center Katie Loberg was taken out of the game in the first half after injuring her left knee following a Brianna Mastey lay-up. Loberg needed assistance to get off the court. Her status was unknown as of Sunday night.
The Gophers continue their five-game opening homestand Wednesday night when they host Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. in Williams Arena.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Gopher women on "board" in season opener
BY MIKE PEDEN
The University of Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team had one recurring theme throughout their season opener against Northern Illinois Saturday: rebounding from a 13-17 showing last year, where they finished last in the Big Ten Conference and dealt with a late-season schism questioning the heart of the senior class.
Fittingly, the Gophers capitalized on the boards, outrebounding the Huskies 41-21 en route to a 79-58 win at Williams Arena. The win, one of two semifinal games in the Best Buy Classic to open the season, will pit Minnesota against Wisconsin-Green Bay at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Williams Arena.
While the struggles of last season are well-documented by fans and reporters, the Gophers hope win number one sends a message that a new chapter has started.
"There's a lot of energy, a lot of passion. You could see it on the court," said junior guard Kiara Buford, named a team captain before the season.
Junior forward Jackie Voigt did most of the work on the glass, scooping 14 rebounds for Minnesota. Buford scored a game-high 22 points while sophomore center Katie Loberg added 15, a result of Minnesota's brilliance hitting shots inside and out. The Gophers made 60% of their shots for the game, a number rarely seen from Minnesota over the last few years.
"Points in the paint have gone up drastically from last year. That's why I think our shooting percentage is a lot better," Buford said.
"Our focus is to be a better half-court team. Jackie did an outstanding job with the boards," said head coach Pam Borton, who started her 9th season in Minnesota.
The Gophers needed almost a full half to get accustomed to their off-season adjustments. The Huskies used a 9-0 run to trim an 11-point deficit to 2 with 1:45 remaining in the first half before the Gophers responded with a 10-0 run to end the half, highlighted by a four-point play when sophomore guard Leah Cotton drained a three-pointer after Buford missed the back end of her free throws.
While offense and rebounding stepped up, turnovers kept the Gophers from utterly blowing out Northern Illinois, coughing the ball up 26 times to the Huskies' 14.
"We had some self-inflicted wounds: poor passing, three seconds in the lane. We've got to clean that up," Borton said.
Loberg and Buford believe cleanup will be short.
"First-game jitters, very fixable stuff," Loberg said.
Most of the pre-season attention has gone to the captains, but several freshman recruits played their first minutes of collegiate action. Minnesota native Sari Noga and Canadian Micaëlla Riché both scored five points in about 10 minutes of action.
Borton said she eventually plans to trim her rotation to nine players as she seeks cohesion with a younger team, but the players promoted their newfound depth that was also absent in the last few seasons.
"Last year, we struggled with off-the-bench production. People underestimate how important your bench is. We can go deep and we're trying to utilize that," Buford said.
Northern Illinois forward Courtney Shelton led the Huskies with 16 points. The Huskies will face George Washington University in the third-place game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Williams Arena.
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