At the half after the Banham buzzer-beater. #FireWithin pic.twitter.com/22pEUFFLsD
— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) December 29, 2015
New Jersey Institute of Technology 50
Minnesota Gophers 83
The Gopher women’s basketball team took control of the game early and never looked back as they beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology 83-50 in their final tuneup before Big Ten Conference play begins.
1. Gophers defense shows up early
The biggest factor in Minnesota’s early lead was the Gopher defense. Minnesota held NJIT to 28.8 percent shooting in the first half.
Minnesota also forced 13 turnovers and held NJIT to five offensive boards.
2. Banham’s big night propels Gophers
Rachel Banham knocked down three three-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Gophers Monday night.
But the senior guard did a lot more than just score the basketball, she also grabbed eight boards, five assists and had four steals.
3. Gophers crash the glass
Despite winning the game as handily as they did it wasn’t Minnesota’s best night shooting, so the Gophers had to find another way to win. Minnesota shot just over 37 percent from the floor and were only 9-of-42 from the three-point line.
The Gophers, though, grabbed 27 offensive rebounds and gave themselves a lot of second-chance opportunities.
Up Next:
The Gophers (8-3) will be at Rutgers on New Year’s Eve to open up Big Ten play.
