CEDAR FALLS, IOWA – The Gophers women's basketball team should have struggled, at least a little, in the first half of Saturday's 73-55 season-opening victory at Northern Iowa.

Redshirt freshman center Amanda Zahui B., who led the Gophers in scoring in rebounding in two exhibition victories, sat out because of what university officials termed "an inadvertent infraction" of an NCAA rule. Rachel Banham, the team's all-everything point guard, was limited to eight first-half minutes, scoring only two points, because of foul trouble.

No problem. The Gophers used balance, defense and sharp shooting to build a 40-15 halftime lead before an announced 2,396 at the McLeod Center. Banham took over from there, scoring the Gophers' first nine points of the second half to stretch the lead to 49-20.

Banham led the Gophers with 15 points, followed by Shayne Mullaney with 14 and Micaëlla Riché and Jackie Johnson with 13 apiece. Banham also had seven rebounds, and Mullaney added three assists, two steals and a block. The Gophers shot 68.2 percent (15-for-22) from the floor in the opening half and 59.6 percent (28-for-47) for the game.

Mullaney tied a career high with four three-pointers in as many attempts. Sophomore forward Johnson, an Eden Prairie High School teammate of Mullaney's, hit all five of her field-goal attempts and had a career-high six rebounds in 29 minutes, helping the Gophers take up the slack for Zahui B.'s absence. Johnson came off the bench to contribute seven points during the Gophers' 22-6 first-half run.

The Gophers have only a 10-player roster, and all nine players suiting up for the game scored. The Gophers did have 23 turnovers.

University officials said Zahui B. would play in Wednesday's home opener against Charlotte.