(Minneapolis, MN) — The No. 17 Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with a 82-62 home win over Harvard at The Barn on Monday night. Harvard stayed competitive through three quarters, but Minnesota closed the game on a decisive 28-10 fourth-quarter run to pull away for a comfortable 20-point victory. Transfer center Gracie Merkle starred in her Gophers debut with a game-high 22 points on 10-for-11 shooting (plus 7 rebounds) off the bench, while Grace Grocholski added 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Tayla Thomas contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota shot 44% from the field (to Harvard’s 34%), dominated the free-throw line (25-for-28), controlled the glass 44-38, and forced 16-18 turnovers in a solid defensive effort that set the tone for the year under coach Dawn Plitzuweit. The Gophers are on the road Saturday afternoon when they face Marquette for a 2 P-M tip from Milwaukee.
After the game, Justin Gaard and Lynette Sjoquist talked to Merkle on the Gophers Radio Network:
