Minnesota News Network

  • Home
  • MNN Reporter Team
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Crime & Court
    • Health
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Weather & Natural Disaster
  • Sports
    • Gophers
    • Twins
    • Wild
    • Timberwolves & Lynx
    • Vikings
  • Minnesota Matters
  • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support
You are here: Home / Sports / Gopher women win at Northwestern

Gopher women win at Northwestern

February 1, 2019 By Minnesota News Network

With three Gophers scoring at least 14 points, Minnesota (14-7, 3-7 B1G) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 61-54 win at Northwestern (13-8, 6-4) Thursday night.

Sophomore Destiny Pitts led all scorers with 19 points, while senior Kenisha Bell added 17 and junior Jasmine Brunson posted 14 as the Gophers won their third in a row over the Wildcats and third straight in Evanston.

Pitts’ 19 points came on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. Through the first seven games of Big Ten play, Pitts was averaging 9.6 points per game while shooting 33.8 percent on field goals and 20.0 percent on 3-pointers, making 9-of-45 attempts from beyond the arc. Since then, she has scored 19 points in three straight games while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 52.0 percent on 3-pointers (13-for-25).

With her 17 points, Bell moved into ninth on the Gophers’ all-time scoring list ahead of Kiara Buford (1,532) with 1,533 points. Bell also had four steals, four rebounds and three assists.

Brunson’s 14 points marked her second-highest scoring output of the season, bettered only by 17 points against Illinois on Jan. 6. In fact, she had scored 14 points total in the previous five games combined. She also led the Gophers with five assists and matched Bell with four steals, tying a career high.

The Gophers forced Northwestern into 19 turnovers, the second-most turnovers by an opponent in 10 conference games, while Minnesota’s 10 steals were their most in any league game this year. The defense also forced the Wildcats to just 37.7 percent shooting, the lowest by an opponent in conference play this season.

Minnesota led 19-10 after the first quarter, thanks in part to nine turnovers forced, including six in a span of 3:15 at one point. Northwestern was held without a field goal for the final 7:07 of the frame.

The Wildcats turned the tables though in the second quarter as they used a 9-0 run to erase an 11-point deficit. The outscored the Gophers 18-11 in the quarter, but Minnesota still held a 30-28 halftime advantage. Bell scored 12 points in the first half, including nine in the first quarter alone.

Minnesota came out firing in the second half, scoring the first nine points to push the lead to 39-28. Pitts and Bell sandwiched jumpers around a layup from Taiye Bello, while Pitts capped the run with one of her three 3-pointers. The Gophers’ largest lead of the game came with 49 seconds remaining in the third after a jumper by Brunson made it 48-34.

The Gophers had outscored the Wildcats, 18-6, at the time of Brunson’s jumper before Veronica Burton banked in a 3-pointer from halfcourt to trim the Gophers’ lead to 48-37 entering the fourth.

In the fourth, Northwestern slowly chipped away at the Gophers’ lead. After a jumper by Brunson put Minnesota ahead 54-43 with 6:13 to go, the Wildcats scored six straight to close the gap to five points with 2:53 to play.

Pitts provided relief though when she knocked down a big 3-pointer from the top of the key to stop the run and push the lead back to eight with 2:32 to play. Northwestern fought back, however, to score the next five points to make it a three-point game with 29 seconds to play.

Pitts remained clutch down the stretch, though. She made a pair of free throws to give Minnesota a 59-54 lead with 26 seconds to go, and after a missed jumper by Northwestern, she made two more to get the game to its final score.

Minnesota returns home Sunday to face first-place Rutgers (17-4, 9-1 B1G). Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on BTN Plus.

GAME NOTES
The all-time series between Minnesota and Northwestern is tied 36-36 … the Gophers have won three straight in the series and three in a row on Northwestern’s home court … Thursday’s lineup was just the third different combination the team has used this season … the Gophers are 4-3 on the road this year … head coach Lindsay Whalen is 6-0 all-time against Northwestern as either a player (5-0) or coach (1-0) … Northwestern was 1-for-7 on 3-pointers, the fewest made or attempted by an opponent this year … senior Irene Garrido Perez tied a career high with four rebounds and six field goal attempts.

(info courtesy of Gopher Sports)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Gophers, Sports

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

Twins vice president Radcliff dies after battle with cancer

The entire Minnesota Twins organization is saddened by the death of Vice President, Player Personnel Mike Radcliff, who passed away today at age 66 in Kansas City, Missouri, after a courageous three-plus year battle with cancer. “The Minnesota Twins today mourn the loss of Mike Radcliff. Mike was the heart and soul of our scouting […]

Gopher grapplers hosting Iowa on Friday (AUDIO)

MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 11 University of Minnesota wrestling program (11-2, 4-2 B1G) is set for their home finale on Friday night, as they look to go undefeated at home for the first time since the 2014-15 season against the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes (12-1, 5-1 B1G) inside Maturi Pavilion at 8:00 p.m. CST. The […]

T-Wolves Take Out Defending Champs in OT

(Minneapolis, MN)  —  D’Angelo Russell scored 29 points and Anthony Edwards shined bright in O-T as the Timberwolves beat the Warriors 119-113 in overtime.  The Wolves got the win despite Rudy Gobert missing the contest due to a sore groin.  Stephen Curry had 29 points for Golden State in the loss and also added 10 […]

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Facebook

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC