Minnesota Defeats Toledo, Advances to Second Round of WBIT

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Minnesota women's basketball team (21-11 B1G) held Toledo (24-9, 13-5 MAC) to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field on the way to a 65-53 victory against the Rockets on the road Thursday.

With the win, the No. 2 seeded Golden Gophers advance to the second round of the WBIT and will face the Missouri State Bears in Springfield, Mo., at Great Southern Bank Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The Maroon & Gold had three players score in double figures, led by Amaya Battle, who had 18 points. Grace Grocholski added 15 points and three steals and Sophie Hart helped out with 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Led by Hart's seven offensive rebounds, Minnesota did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 14 boards that resulted in 11 second chance points.

The Minnesota defense caused its share of mistakes in Thursday's game, forcing 19 Toledo turnovers while committing 11. Those takeaways turned into 25 points on the other end of the floor. Grocholski's three steals led the way individually for the Golden Gophers.

How It Happened

After playing to a 5-5 tie early in the game, Minnesota went on a 7-0 run with 6:06 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Hart, to take a 12-5 lead. The Gophers then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 20-10 advantage. Minnesota did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 20 points close to the basket.

The Maroon & Gold maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 32-25 edge. Minnesota dominated in the paint, scoring six of its 12 points close to the basket.

Minnesota wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 6-0 run to expand its lead further to 38-25 with 7:39 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Rockets had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Gophers still entered the fourth quarter with a 45-38 edge. Minnesota played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 13 points in the paint.

Minnesota kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Niamya Holloway's layup, to grow the lead to 62-47 with 2:22 to go in the contest. The Rockets narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Gophers still cruised the rest of the way for the 65-53 win. Minnesota took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 14 of its 20 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» The Gophers held the Rockets to only 36.5 percent shooting from the field.
» The Maroon & Gold never trailed after taking a 20-10 first quarter lead.
» The Minnesota defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Minnesota cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Amaya Battle led the Gophers with a game-high 18 points.
» Minnesota got a team-high nine rebounds from Mallory Heyer.