gophers women gameday

2:30 P.M. at NORTHWESTERN Welsh-Ryan Arena • BTN, 1500-AM

Gophers at a glance: Following a 63-50 victory at Wisconsin on Wednesday, Minnesota (16-9, 5-6 Big Ten) heads into Welsh-Ryan Arena riding a three-game winning streak and needing just one more victory to reach .500 in Big Ten play for the first time this season. The streak began with a win at Michigan on Feb. 1, coinciding with sophomore Kayla Hirt being named a starter. The 6-2 Bemidji native has averaged just 4.0 points per game in that role, but coach Pam Borton said Hirt's shooting range adds another dimension to the Gophers' attack. … Rachel Banham has averaged 24.3 points in her career against Northwestern, never scoring fewer than 19. … A Gophers' win would be Borton's 300th.

Wildcats at a glance: Not much has gone Northwestern's way in February. The Wildcats (10-14, 4-7) have lost three in a row, including a 90-84 loss at Iowa on Monday. Freshman Nia Coffey of Hopkins scored a career-high 29 points and had 10 rebounds in Iowa City, but the Wildcats simply couldn't get a stop. The Hawkeyes shot 51.6 percent and had four players score in double figures. … Coffey leads the Wildcats in scoring at 15.5 points per game and has scored at least 20 points in seven games. … Northwestern is 3-5 since being blown out 94-59 at Williams Arena on Jan. 12.

BRYCE EVANS