Minnesota and Michigan have mutually agreed to cancel their Feb. 28 matchup due to “COVID-19 related issues” within the Minnesota program, Minnesota’s athletics department announced Saturday.

The Gophers’ contest against No. 12 Michigan was set to be their final home game of the season. Due to the limited time remaining the regular season, the game has been declared a no contest, rather than being rescheduled for a later date.

The Gophers will now go without playing the Wolverines in the 2020-21 regular season, as their first matchup was also canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Michigan program. The Wolverines have been one of the best teams in the Big Ten conference this season and they’re led by potential Big Ten player of the year Naz Hilmon, who averages 25.8 points-per-game ranking third in all of Division I.

Minnesota’s focus will now shift to March 5, as Minnesota is slated to take on Illinois in its final regular season game of the season. Postseason play will begin March 9 with the Big Ten conference tournament being scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Gophers are currently projected as the 10th seed in the conference with a record of 7-10 and 8-11 overall.

This is a breaking news report. More information will be added as it becomes available.

It was an all-around performance Wednesday night from the Gophers women’s basketball team, with every Minnesota player scoring and four finishing with double figures. The balanced attack along with lockdown defense from Minnesota resulted in a 73-63 victory over Nebraska.

Minnesota entered Thursday’s contest against Nebraska without its leader. Second-leading scorer and starting point guard Jasmine Powell (14.5 points per game) was ruled out due to an ankle injury. At full strength, the Gophers were able to take down the Cornhuskers on Jan. 19 in a 76-71 victory.

Nebraska brought reinforcements as it is now led by reigning Big Ten player of the week, Isabelle Bourne who was held out of the previous matchup with the Gophers due to injury. The sophomore forward averaged 21.5 points and 14 rebounds in the team’s last two victories. Slowing down Bourne would go a long way for the Gophers looking to improve their standing within the Big Ten, as the conference tournament is now two weeks away.

The Gophers received their offensive production from unfamiliar faces to begin Thursday’s game. Junior-transfer Kayla Mershon led the team with four first-quarter points, playing with a chip on her shoulder against her former team. Minnesota controlled much of the quarter until a buzzer-beating three from Nebraska cutting the lead to 15-12 after 10 minutes of play.

Minnesota continued to find offensive success from its post players in the second quarter, as Klarke Sconiers led the team with eight points. After leading 14-4 in paint points, it looked like the Gophers would balloon their lead until Nebraska knocked down four threes in the quarter helping the team stick around. After four lead changes, Minnesota carried a 31-30 lead into the half.

It continued to be a balanced offensive attack for the Gophers to begin the second half until Sconiers came off the bench near the end of the quarter and stood out once again, scoring six points bringing her game total to a game-high 14 at the end of the third. Nebraska was able to stick around with timely threes. The score was tied at 51, setting up for a tantalizing fourth quarter.

Kadi Sissoko spent much of the game on the bench in foul trouble, but she was saving all her buckets for the fourth quarter. The redshirt sophomore led the Gophers with eight points and four rebounds to close out the game, resulting in a 73-63 Minnesota victory.

Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen had her team playing some of its best defense of the season, allowing a season-low 63 points. Nebraska’s 47.4% three-point shooting was about all that kept it in the game.

“[Practicing defense was] pretty much all we did Monday and Tuesday,” Whalen said. “It is something we knew coming into this homestand would be a big focus after a couple of tough nights out east.”

Offensively, Sara Scalia completely adjusted her game from a score-first shooter into a facilitator. The Stillwater, Minnesota native compiled 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, remarkably without recording a turnover.

“Obviously we think of her as a scorer,” Whalen said. “That last two, three minutes we put her on [Sam] Haiby, I thought her strength was able to make Haiby take some tough shots down the stretch.

Minnesota now moves to 8-11 on the season and will carry its momentum into a matchup with Michigan on Feb. 28 at the Barn.

“At this point we talked about every moment we get, just to seize the moment,” Whalen said. “It’s another home win and it gives us a load of confidence going into this weekend against a good Michigan team.”

In a matchup between Minnesota and Illinois Wednesday night, the Gophers women’s basketball team came away with an 83-73 win.

The Gophers’ daunting Big Ten schedule eased up Wednesday, as they welcomed a struggling Illinois team to Williams Arena in their annual Play4Kay game. The Fighting Illini entered with a 3-11 record and pink uniforms, as both teams donned the alternate look to help fundraise for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Sophomore guard Jeanae Terry leads Illinois and averages a team-high 12.8 points, nine rebounds and 4.3 assists. Fourth-year Illinois head coach Nancy Fahey’s Illinois squad was coming off their first Big Ten victory in 11 tries, Feb. 7 against Purdue. However, Minnesota was still presented with a great chance to get back on track with a conference victory.

Lindsay Whalen opted to make one change in the Gophers’ usual starting lineup since Gadiva Hubbard’s injury, as Kayla Mershon replaced Klarke Sconiers at the five position, while Hubbard remained in a walking boot on the bench.

“I thought [Mershon] had a couple good days of practice,” Whalen said. “Gadiva is getting closer as well. She was able to go through a couple things during shoot-around.”

Minnesota was able to flip the script Wednesday as it was the team to jump out to a quick lead, jumping ahead 9-0 only 3:40 into the game. The team played stifling defense for the entirety of the first quarter, holding Illinois to 3-for-17 shooting as a team. Kadi Sissoko and Jasmine Powell took advantage offensively, leading the Gophers to a 24-8 lead with 15 combined points.

It looked like the Gophers would substantially extend their lead in the second quarter, leading by as many as 26, but five Minnesota turnovers in the quarter gave Illinois life, lowering the Gophers lead as low as 15. Sissoko was able to stave off the Fighting Illini’s comeback, leading Minnesota with 12 points, as it carried a 43-25 lead heading into the locker room.

After failing to score in the first half, it was Sara Scalia’s time to shine after the break. The sophomore guard knocked down three quick three-pointers extending the Gophers’ lead to 29 only 3:23 into the half.

“This game was definitely our best game coming out of halftime,” Scalia said. “That was key in halftime; coach was talking about coming out strong.”

Much like the second quarter, Minnesota was not able to deliver the final blow. After Illinois made seven of its last eight field goals, the lead was back down to 18 heading into the final quarter.

The Gophers could never find the rhythm they had in the first quarter. Illinois went into a full-court press in the second quarter, and the Gophers never seemed to be able to handle it, dwindling the Gophers’ lead down to seven with 36.3 seconds to go. The Fighting Illini outscored the Gophers 65-59 in the final three quarters of play and outrebounded them 25-11 in the second half, but Minnesota survived, winning 83-73.

“Today was, ‘get the win,’ and we did that,” Whalen said. “When you get up in the 20s, you want to extend it, but it’s a team that’s learning how to do that.”

Scalia finished with all of her 20 points in the second half, which was half of the 40 points that the Gophers scored as a team. The Stillwater, Minnesota native’s big half helped the Gophers overcome a rather ugly second half as they now move to 6-9 on the season.

“I thought she played great in the first half,” Whalen said. “Shots come and go, but overall I am very happy with how she played the whole game.”

Minnesota will have a quick turnaround, hosting Wisconsin this Sunday, Feb. 14.

Iowa’s high-powered offense came to play Sunday, defeating the Gophers women’s basketball team 94-68 off of 45 combined points from Monika Czinano and Caitlin Clark.

The red-hot Gophers looked to extend their three-game winning streak Sunday in a battle with the Iowa Hawkeyes. The two bitter Big Ten foes faced off earlier in the season and Iowa came out on top 92-79.

Iowa City, Iowa is home to one of the most prolific offenses in the country, ranking third in all of Division I basketball, averaging 88.1 points-per-contest. The Hawkeyes’ high-flying offense is led by their star freshman Clark, who is averaging a team-high 25.5 points per game, ranking fifth-best in the country.

Clark’s running mate is Czinano, a junior post player, who averages 19.8 points-per-game herself. Czinano happens to be the sister of 2021 Gophers’ commit Maggie Czinano. Slowing down the Hawkeyes’ dynamic duo would be near the top of the Gophers’ pregame scouting report.

Minnesota was without Gadiva Hubbard for the second consecutive game, as the senior guard is still recovering from an ankle injury she suffered last week against Penn State.

The Gophers were able to slow down the duo of Clark and Czinano in the first quarter, as the pair only combined for five points. That did not seem to bother Iowa, as its offense kept humming, recording an assist on all eight of its made field goals in the first quarter. Minnesota’s offense was able to keep up, only trailing 21-17 heading into the second quarter.

Czinano took over in quarter number two, going 5-for-5 from the field, adding 11 points to her game total. Iowa’s all-world ball movement continued as it finished the half with 15 assists on 16 made field goals.

“That is what they do,” Gophers’ coach Lindsay Whalen said. “Give them credit, they drive and kick and try to move the ball as fast as possible, that is what they do.”

Fortunately for the Gophers, a last second three from Sara Scalia capped off a nine-point quarter from the sharpshooter, giving Minnesota serious momentum heading into the locker room only trailing 47-41.

The offensive masterclass from Iowa continued as the second half began. The Hawkeyes made 12 more field goals coming from nine assists in the third quarter. It didn’t really matter who was shooting for Iowa, as a dominant 28-8 quarter expanded the Gophers deficit to 75-49.

The Gophers ended a 5:04 streak without scoring about midway through the fourth quarter. An offense like Iowa’s will always take advantage of a scoring drought of that length, which it did. A once 6-point deficit heading into the break ballooned as high as 31. Iowa ultimately left victorious 94-68, snapping the Gophers three-game winning streak.

“Even though we lost, I think we keep going up the ladder,” Gophers’ forward Kadi Sissoko said. “I am really confident in my team and I am not even worried about what is coming next.”

Iowa’s star players were good as advertised with 45 total points. Czinano was especially dominant, missing only three shots all game en route to a 23-point performance. The Gophers simply had no answer for the Hawkeyes, particularly in the post. Iowa recorded 48 total points in the paint, making 21 of their 28 layups.

“[Czinano] does a great job of working people out of position,” Whalen said. “She is obviously a great player.”

Clark had an all-around game of her own recording 22 points and 11 assists while matched up with Jasmine Powell for much of the game.

“She is never out of the play,” Powell said. “She is always moving and always cutting and there is nowhere on the court where you can guard her.”

Following a shutdown within the Michigan program, the Gophers will have a full week until their next matchup on Feb. 7 in Columbus, Ohio against the Buckeyes of Ohio State.

Minnesota’s much-improved play continued Thursday, resulting in a 77-72 victory over Purdue. Thirty points from Sara Scalia earned the Gophers their third consecutive win, as they move to 5-7 on the season and 4-6 in the Big Ten.

The Golden Gophers’ Big Ten campaign continued to roll on Thursday, as the Purdue Boilermakers came to town. Purdue entered Thursday’s contest with a 6-6 record, losing five of its last six games. The Boilermakers have a relatively balanced scoring attack with six players averaging more than seven points, with two averaging double figures. Junior guard Kayana Traylor leads the team, averaging 14.6 points per game and 3.2 assists. The prospect of slowing down Traylor loomed large for the Gophers in pursuit of their third consecutive win.

Monday’s win over Penn State saw Gadiva Hubbard leave with an apparent leg injury late in the game. Gophers’ coach Lindsay Whalen provided no immediate update on her health after the game, but the senior guard’s absence from the starting lineup said enough. Hubbard was not in uniform Thursday with a boot on her left leg. Alexia Smith aimed to replace Hubbard’s 11.5 points-per-game in the starting lineup.

“Everybody just had to do a little more,” Whalen said after the game. “To lose a player of her caliber and still win is a great accomplishment.”

Much like Monday’s win, Jasmine Powell picked up two quick fouls only 3:41 into the game and sat the rest of the quarter. This time it was early-enrollee Katie Borowicz who replaced the star point guard, as Smith was already on the floor. The Roseau, Minnesota native did her best to control the offense and the Gophers only trailed 20-17 after the first quarter.

To begin the second quarter, Powell came off of the bench ready to make up for time lost. The sophomore guard’s seven points in the quarter helped the Gophers find the offensive rhythm they lacked earlier. Sara Scalia added eight points and the duo finished with 15 of the team’s 18 points in the second quarter. Minnesota carried a 35-29 lead into halftime.

Powell and Scalia continued to find great offensive success in the third quarter, but costly turnovers and sloppy defense from the Gophers helped Purdue stick around. The duo’s 12 combined points in the quarter were not enough to overshadow the team’s three turnovers and 12 points allowed in the paint. Minnesota still held onto a 55-53 lead heading into the fourth.

“It is nice to learn from a win,” Whalen said. “There is definitely some stuff we can learn from this game, and we will just continue to learn and get better.”

Scalia’s hot shooting carried into the fourth quarter, with three three-pointers and 11 total points. Scalia seemed to have put the game away, but a pair of costly Minnesota turnovers down the stretch brought Purdue back into the game. A lead that was at nine with just over a minute to go, shrunk all the way to three with 35 seconds left. The Gophers were able to survive winning 77-72.

“The next step is to finish the game strong,” Whalen said. “All the way through – 40 minutes – but there is no question that this team has grown a lot over the last two to three weeks.”

Scalia finished with a career high 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field. Kadi Sissoko added 17 points and Powell ended the game with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“I think it all starts with the work that I have been putting in the last couple of days,” Scalia said. “I am definitely getting my rhythm back.”

The Gophers will look for their fourth consecutive win Sunday, Jan. 31, as they will host the Iowa Hawkeyes at Williams Arena.

The Gophers women’s basketball team defeated Penn State 85-76 Monday to move to 4-7 on the season. An all-around game with four Gophers scoring at least 15 points proved to be vital in earning their third Big Ten win of the season.

A late Monday afternoon tip-off in State College, Pennsylvania, against Penn State presented the Gophers with their first repeat opponent of the 2020-21 season. Earlier in the season on Jan. 10, Minnesota battled with the Nittany Lions for 40 minutes, ultimately suffering a 69-60 defeat at Williams Arena.

Penn State’s win over the Gophers was its only victory since Dec. 3, and the team sat at 4-6 prior to Monday’s contest. Minnesota was set to face a much different team Monday, as the Nittany Lions’ leading scorer, Kelly Jekot (15.9 points per game), would not be available to play due to a season-ending injury. Penn State head coach and Roseville, Minnesota native Carolyn Kieger was going to have her team ready to play, no matter who was suiting up.

Gophers’ sophomore guard Sara Scalia began the game with something to prove, knocking down two deep threes to open the game. Scalia’s hot shooting led the team with eight points in a first quarter that saw the Gophers shoot 9-for-18 from the field, resulting in a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes of play.

“The way she started out with her approach was really, really good for us tonight,” Gophers’ head coach Lindsay Whalen said.

Penn State’s Johnasia Cash took over in the second quarter. The senior post player had six points and eight rebounds, giving her a double-double for the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds in only one half of play. Despite Penn State’s successful quarter, the Gophers still led 41-39 heading into halftime.

Minnesota’s post players were in foul trouble for much of the third quarter, as Klarke Sconiers spent the entire quarter on the bench with three fouls and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich went to the bench after picking up her third early in the second half as well. Penn State seized the moment with a 16-8 rebounding advantage. Minnesota’s 25% shooting in the quarter did not help the cause, as the team trailed 60-53 heading into the fourth quarter.

“We were coaching frustrated and playing frustrated,” Whalen said. “I blew my top after the third, but I took a deep breath and realized we can win this thing.”

The Gophers seemed determined to leave Happy Valley with a win. A rather dominating final quarter saw Minnesota shoot 8-for-14 from the field and the team finished the game on a 28-9 run.

Late in the game Gadiva Hubbard suffered an ankle injury, but the senior guard knocked down two big free throws before leaving the court, ultimately sealing an 85-76 victory.

“I am sure she’ll be sore, but she’s a tough kid,” Whalen said. “She’s played through and with a lot, but I was just so proud of her game tonight.”

Minnesota finished with four players scoring at least 15 points. Scalia led with 21, Hubbard added 18, Jasmine Powell had 16 and Kadi Sissoko joined in 15 points on her birthday.

“It’s working to our advantage right now,” Whalen said. “We need everybody and having a nice rotation is something that we definitely need.”

The Gophers will look to extend their win streak with a home game Jan. 28 against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Minnesota’s lone senior that has spent her entire career with the program came up huge down the stretch, giving the Gophers a 76-71 road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Tuesday afternoon presented another challenge for the struggling Gophers. There is really no off-day in the Big Ten, because though the Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-5) may only be ranked seventh in the conference standings, they entered as one of the hottest teams in the conference. The Cornhuskers went into the match with two consecutive wins over ranked Big Ten teams and three total in their last five games.

“The Big Ten is a tough conference, and there are a lot of great teams,” Gophers’ head coach Lindsay Whalen said. “There is no question that this is a great basketball conference and you’re playing for a team nearly every night that is being considered for the NCAA tournament.”

The Amy Williams-led Cornhuskers has had a next woman up attitude resulting in their recent hot streak. Junior guard Sam Haiby has been the focal point of the offense, averaging 16.9 points per contest all season.

Sophomore forward Isabelle Bourne was the team’s second-leading scorer at 14 points per game before she suffered an ankle injury on Jan. 10 against Michigan State. The school’s all-time leading shot-blocker Kate Cain has picked up the slack, earning last week’s Big Ten player of the week honors. Nebraska’s ability to find production from everyone on their team has been what has carried its recent success.

Jasmine Powell began Tuesday’s matchup trying to carry the momentum from her terrific 22 point, eight assist and seven-rebound performance last time out against Maryland. The Gophers were not able to find much offensive success outside of Powell in the first quarter, trailing 20-10 after 10 minutes of play.

The second quarter saw Sara Scalia carry Minnesota back into the game. All of the sophomore guard’s 11 first-half points came in the second quarter. As a team, the Gophers’ 6-of-13 shooting from behind the three-point line in the second quarter sparked a 15-5 run, shrinking their deficit to 42-39 heading into halftime.

Nebraska opened the second half on a 9-2 run, but Minnesota’s hot three-point shooting carried the team back into the game. A well-balanced quarter saw the six different Gophers score and combine to shoot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc in the quarter, keeping themselves well within striking distance, only trailing 61-59 heading into the fourth quarter.

Gadiva Hubbard took the game over in the fourth quarter. The senior guard finished with 12 points in the quarter, knocking down three of her four three-point shoots, adding three more points from the free-throw line. Nebraska couldn’t overcome its 24.2% shooting in the second half, which helped pave the way for a Gophers’ victory. Hubbard’s late-game heroics ultimately is what earned the Gophers a 76-71 victory.

Hubbard has now been the Gophers’ go-to player late in both of their last two wins. The Virginia Beach, Virginia native scored 19 second-half points in their last win against Wisconsin while playing with four fouls from the third quarter on.

“I think my teammates are trusting me and they know I have the experience to trust me with the ball,” Hubbard said. “I am just trusting in myself and my teammates are trusting in me.”

Ultimately, the Gophers’ remarkable 18 assists on 24 made field goals gave them their best offensive performance of the season, resulting in their second Big Ten win. They now move to 3-7 on the season and 2-6 in Big Ten play.

“We’ve had more time playing together,” Whalen said. “I told our team today, this is our 10th game and we’ve had five or six where everyone is able to play, so I think it’s just about the time together in the gym.”

Next for Minnesota is a Jan. 25 game, where they will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania to take on Penn State.

The No. 9-ranked Maryland Terrapins’ 44% three-point shooting put the Gophers women’s basketball team in a position that was hard for anyone to come back from, resulting in a 90-73 Gophers’ loss.

The Gophers (2-7) welcomed No. 9 Maryland (10-1) for a Thursday night Big Ten matchup in Williams Arena. The Terrapins entered Thursday riding an eight-game winning streak, four of which came against ranked opponents.

Gophers’ head coach Lindsay Whalen has some familiarity with the Maryland program, as head coach Brenda Frese overlapped as Whalen’s head coach at Minnesota for one season in 2001-2002. The current Gophers’ head coach still has memories that she puts into her coaching today.

“That year was really fun,” Whalen said. “I learned to keep things intense while loose. [It] was really cool with how she coached.”

Frese has been with Maryland ever since and this season she has made Maryland the second most prolific scoring offense in the country, averaging 94.1 points per contest. Remarkably, the Big Ten’s second-ranked team in the preseason poll has five total players averaging double figure scoring. Preseason All-Big Ten sophomore guard Ashely Owusu leads the team averaging 18.1 points per contest.

A struggling Minnesota team entered Thursday with an insurmountable task ahead.

Whalen opted for her normal starting five, as Sara Scalia returned to the lineup following a one-game absence due to a shoulder injury.

Initially, the Gophers did not back down from the daunting Terrapins. Jasmine Powell led all scorers with eight points just over six minutes into the game, giving the Gophers a 13-10 lead. Maryland then seemed to flip a switch, closing out the quarter on a 15-4 run led by 10 points from Chloe Bibby. Maryland led 25-17 after one.

Minnesota did not go away, in large part due to a flurry of three points shots in the second quarter. Scalia joined Powell combining to shoot 4-for-8 from three-point range in the quarter, while Klarke Sconiers added eight points of her own. Maryland didn’t even seem to flinch, as the Terrapins took advantage of the Gophers seven first half turnovers leading to 12 points of their own. The Gophers trailed 50-43 heading into halftime.

The Terrapins’ offense seemed to never let up, especially to open the second half. They began the second half on an 8-2 run, extending the Gophers deficit to 13. It only got worse for Minnesota, as Maryland took advantage of the Gophers 28.6% shooting and five turnovers in the third quarter, resulting in a 76-57 Gophers deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Third quarters have been the Gophers’ Achilles’ heel all season.

“All we can do is keep working,” Whalen said. “We’ve come out of halftime and done drills to get us ready for the second half, but all we can do is keep working.”

Maryland closed out the fourth quarter with no plan of letting the Gophers get back into the game, but Gopher true-freshman guard Katie Borowicz took advantage with some late playing time. The early-enrollee finished with eight late fourth quarter points, but it wasn’t enough, as the Gophers fell 90-73.

“My expectation is to come in and have a really good practice on Saturday and we will continue to build,” Whalen said. “My word with this team is foundation.”

On a positive note, Powell had one of her better games of the season, finishing with 22 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and only three turnovers.

Ultimately, Maryland’s 11-for-25 shooting from behind the three point line was too much for the Gophers to overcome as they fell to 2-7 on the season.

“We’re going to keep fighting, grinding, and bringing our lunch pails because that is what we do,” Whalen said. “We’re going to work and we’re going to make progress every day as a team, because that is why they’re here at the University of Minnesota.”

Next on the schedule for the Gophers is a contest Jan. 19 in Lincoln, Nebraska, against the Cornhuskers.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers were not able to overcome another rough shooting night, as the Penn State Nittany Lions took advantage resulting in a 69-60 Gophers’ defeat.

A matchup with 3-5 Penn State was next on the schedule for the Gophers. The Nittany Lions entered Sunday’s contest on the heels of a five-game losing skid. PSU’s second-year head coach Carolyn Kieger receives the bulk of her team’s production from three players.

Graduate student guard Kelly Jekot, sophomore guard Makkena Marisa and senior forward Johnasia Cash combine to average 54% of the Nittany Lions’ points every game, along with 49% of the team’s rebounding. Sunday’s contest presented a great opportunity at Williams Arena for Minnesota to pick up its second Big Ten win of the season.

Gophers’ head coach Lindsay Whalen decided to make changes to the starting lineup for the second consecutive contest. After plugging Alexia Smith in for Sara Scalia due to her shoulder injury last time out, Scalia later came off of the bench. This time Scalia’s previously separated shoulder prevented her from suiting up.

“No real update on Sara, we got late word that she wouldn’t be able to go,” Whalen said.

The changes continued with Kayla Mershon making her Gophers debut in the starting five. The former Nebraska transfer replaced Klarke Sconiers in the starting lineup.

Early in the first quarter, Gophers’ point guard Jasmine Powell picked up two fouls. This led to true-freshman guard Katie Borowicz checking into the game for her first time as a Golden Gopher. Borowicz decided to enroll at Minnesota following her early graduation from Roseau High School. The 5-foot-7, four-star guard’s role in 2021 was unknown, but she has quickly found the floor less than two weeks from formally announcing her decision to join the team.

“I thought Katie showed some real moxie to come in there and play the way she did,” Whalen said.

Overall, the first 10 minutes saw very balanced production, with every Gopher scoring except for Smith, resulting in a 15-14 deficit.

Powell began to heat up when she made her way back into the game. The sophomore guard led Minnesota with 10 points and two rebounds in the second quarter. The back-and-forth contest continued with Penn State’s Maddie Burke scoring eight points in the quarter. The Gophers carried a 34-33 lead into the locker room at the half.

Penn State opened the second half with tremendous pressure, resulting in a 9-3 run and giving the Nittany Lions a 43-36 lead less than two minutes into the half. The Gophers did their best to fight back, but 30.8% shooting paired with six turnovers resulted in Penn State extending its lead to 54-44 heading into the fourth quarter.

“They put a lot of different defenses on us, and we obviously struggled against it,” Whalen said. “The third quarter is killing us, we need to be a team that comes out of with some sort of semblance that we are ready to play.”

Both teams struggled offensively in the final quarter of play. Minnesota made one field goal in the final 4:41 of play, and Penn State only made two the entire quarter. Ultimately the Gophers’ nine team fouls in the last 10 minutes resulted in 12 Penn State free throws, 10 of which the team made. Minnesota came up short 69-60, and is now 2-6 on the season.

Minnesota struggled immensely on the offensive end all game, shooting only 31.3% from the field. Powell had one of her better games of the season with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and only three turnovers, but the Gophers only received 41 points from their other seven players.

“It is how you come ready to work every day,” Whalen said. “There is no classes right now, we’re Division I athletes and it is how you come into practice every day to sustain that.”

The Gophers are now slated to travel to College Park, Maryland, for a Jan. 14 matchup against the No. 12 ranked Maryland Terrapins.

After a terrific first half of basketball, the Gophers women’s basketball team surrendered a second-half surge, getting outscored 54-31, as Iowa won 92-79.

Following Sunday’s win over Wisconsin, Minnesota had a red-hot Iowa team next on its schedule. Prior to Wednesday’s matchup, the Hawkeyes had won seven of eight games this season. Their scoring is led by freshman guard Caitlin Clark and preseason All-Big Ten forward Monika Czinano, who happens to be the sister of 2021 Gophers commit Maggie Czinano. Through eight games, the duo of Clark and Czinano had averaged 45.8 of the team’s 92.1 points.

As a team, the Hawkeyes entered as one of the most prolific offenses in the country. Their 92.1 points per contest ranks fourth-best in the country. The Gophers were faced with an uphill battle as their 81.0 points allowed per game ranks 324 out of 335 Division I teams.

Prior to tip-off, Minnesota’s starting lineup saw one alteration from its norm. Five-star freshman guard Alexia Smith made her starting five debut in place of Sara Scalia. Scalia suffered an injury Sunday against Wisconsin, but it did not prevent the sophomore guard from playing in this one, as she was the second Gophers player off the bench.

“In Wisconsin, I separated my shoulder,” Scalia said. “Before this game, I got an injection to numb my shoulder and play with the pain.”

Kadi Sissoko led the Gophers to quite the hot start. The former Syracuse transfer led all scorers with 11 first-quarter points. Minnesota’s highest-scoring quarter of the season saw the team shoot 10-of-18 from the field and 5-of-9 from three. The scorching start saw the team lead 27-19 after one-quarter of play.

Clark, Iowa’s star freshman, did her best to keep the Hawkeyes within striking distance with 19 first-half points. Clark’s heroics didn’t slow down the Gophers, as they added to their first-quarter lead by two. Minnesota found its offensive success from three players. Jasmine Powell, Scalia and Sissoko combined for 39 of the Gophers’ 48 first-half points resulting in a 48-38 halftime lead.

“They’re a team that hasn’t lost at home in 40-some games, and we punched them,” Gophers’ head coach Lindsay Whalen said after the game. “You have to stick with the game plan when someone punches back.”

Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeye squad did not go down without a fight, outpacing the Gophers 30-13 in the third quarter. Clark began to completely take over the ball game with 12 points in the third, bringing her game total to 31. Minnesota had no answer and trailed 68-61 heading into the final quarter of play.

It was much of the same in the fourth quarter, but this time Czinano found her rhythm for Iowa with 10 points in the quarter. The duo of Clark and Czinano finished with 56 of Iowa’s 92 points, and the Gophers would ultimately fall 92-79, and now drop to 2-5 on the season.

Clark truly had a remarkable performance finishing with 37 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, adding 11 rebounds and five assists. The Gophers put together one of their best games of the season, but Clark’s performance truly overtook a game that was much closer than the box score showed.

“We switched up pick-and-roll defenses on her, we went with some man and zone, we switched up match-ups on her,” Whalen said. “She scores 37 in the second half and we guard Monica Czinano, maybe we’re talking about a different game.”

Next on the schedule for Whalen’s Gophers’ squad is a Jan. 10 home matchup with (3-4) Penn State.