#Gophers go 4 of 4 to end the third quarter and lead No. 5 Ohio State after three at Williams. #FireWithin pic.twitter.com/UtlSUVT67I
— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) February 25, 2016
Ohio State Buckeyes 88
Minnesota Gophers 90
The Gopher women’s basketball team picked up that signature win they needed to cement their resume for the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota beat No. 5 Ohio State 90-88 Wednesday night at Williams Arena.
1. No stopping Banham
Gophers guard Rachel Banham has brought her game to a new level in recent weeks. She scored 35 points to lead Minnesota, while shooting 9-of-23 from the floor, including five three-pointers.
When she wasn’t scoring the ball, Banham was sharing it.
WATCH: No-look behind the back from Banham to Edwards for the basket. https://t.co/9gOmDa2ATZ
— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) February 25, 2016
2. Wagner provides some balance
While Banham is drawing a lot of the attention from opposing defenders, Carlie Wagner showed that she can be a threat as well. The Gophers sophomore was 11-of-30 from the floor. But she was 4-of-6 from three-point range, and made big shots late – including one with :00.8 seconds left.
WATCH: Wagner for three and the lead! https://t.co/MlA03Qb8oA
— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) February 25, 2016
Wagner finished with 26 points Wednesday.
3. Extra shots pay off
Minnesota took 89 shots against the Buckeyes, and while the Gophers made only 36 percent, they did haul in 24 offensive rebounds.
Sophomore Jessie Edwards did much of the work on the offensive glass. She finished the night with eight offensive boards, while Joanna Hedstrom added six of her own.
Edwards finished the night with 12 total boards, Hedstrom had 10.
Up Next:
The Gophers (19-9, 11-6 in the Big Ten) close the regular season Sunday at Maryland.
