The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team (15-10, 5-9 B1G) hosts the latest edition of the Border Battle series when Wisconsin (12-12, 5-9 B1G) comes to Williams Arena on Tuesday night.
GAME INFORMATION
TV/Stream: Big Ten Network
Tip Time: 6:00 p.m. CT.
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN GAME
• Minnesota and Wisconsin are meeting for the 87th time, with the Gophers holding an 47-39 advantage in the series that started back in 1974. Wisconsin won the matchup earlier this season in Madison, 59-56.
• This season the Badgers are offensively paced by sophomore Serah Williams who averages 18.1 points per game and 11.1 rebounds. She has shot 51.3 percent from the floor and has hit 7-of-20 (35 percent) from beyond the arc.
• Wisconsin has won two of its past three with victories coming against Penn State at home and against Rutgers on the road. In between those wins Wisconsin fell to Indiana at home, 68-54. This season Wisconsin is 3-6 on the road and is 1-4 in their past five road contests.
• As of Feb. 18, Wisconsin is No. 39 in the nation in blocks per game at 4.5, which is the top rate in the Big Ten conference. Wisconsin as a team is also No. 1 in the conference in field goal percentage defense at 39.4, and is No. 4 in the fewest fouls per game at 15.5.
• Minnesota and Wisconsin are the two youngest teams in the Big Ten this season (Minnesota 11 underclassmen, Wisconsin has 10).
GOPHER NOTABLES
• Minnesota got back in the win column against Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena with a 88-63 victory over the visiting Wildcats. Freshman Grace Grocholski’s career high 27 points led the way as all five of Minnesota’s starters reached double figures for the first time in conference play this season. Grocholski started the game a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor before she missed her first shot. Janay Sanders handed out a career high six assists and added 13 points, and her first three of the season, in the win while Mallory Heyer (13 points, 8 rebounds) and Amaya Battle (13 points, 5 assists) also contributed in Minnesota’s fifth conference win of the season.
• Grace Grocholski was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week for the third time this season after her performances against Rutgers and Northwestern. Last week she scored at a rate of 25 points per game while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor (18-of-26) and 68.4 percent (13-of-19) from three. She tied a Minnesota freshman record with seven threes in one game, hitting 7-of-12 against Rutgers to finish with 23 points. Grocholski leads all Big Ten freshmen in overall scoring (11.7) and scoring during conference play (11.9).
• University of Minnesota head women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit announced on Jan. 29, that sophomore guard Mara Braun suffered a foot injury against Illinois that will require surgery and will be out indefinitely. This season Braun has been one of the Big Ten’s top scorers at 17.8 points per game, which is fourth in the conference, while shooting a career high 37 percent from three.
• Without Mara Braun in the lineup Janay Sanders has slid into the starting lineup for the Gophers the past three games and has upped her scoring average from 5.3 to 14.6 points per game. Since joining the starting lineup Sanders has the second-best field goal percentage on the team at 51.1 percent (24-of-47). Sanders has been the most effective when driving to the basket with the graduate from Charlotte, N.C., leading the team in fouls drawn at 4.8 per game during conference play.
• At 277 Amaya Battle is 37 assists away from breaking into the program’s all-time top 10 career assists. At her current pace of 5.04 assists per game, Battle is on pace to reach 605 assists, which would be second all-time at the ‘U’ with the all-time record being 633 by Deb Hunter (1979-83).
GRACE GABS
Gopher freshman Grace Grocholski spoke with MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Grace Gracholski
BY THE NUMBERS
6 – Grocholski has hit 61 threes this season, and is six away from the second most in a single season in school history by a freshman.
4.8 – During conference play Janay Sanders has drawn an average of 4.8 fouls per game, the most on the team.
39 – In Minnesota’s last three games they have shot 39.3 percent from three in the first half.
48 – During conference play Minnesota has shot 48.7 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter.
11 – Minnesota is 11-2 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
