Gophers at a glance: Minnesota hopes to end a two-game losing streak after falling to Virginia 90-68 and Kansas 65-53 this past week. With five consecutive home games on the horizon, December's a good time to build some momentum as Big Ten competition inches closer. Sophomore Rachel Banham leads the Gophers in scoring, averaging nearly 20 points per game. Micaella Riche leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game and checks in behind Banham with 12.6 points per contest. Freshman Kayla Hirt has averaged 7.6 points per game off the bench. Freshman starter Mikayla Bailey missed the past two games because of illness and isn't expected to play in their next three games.
Denver at a glance: After getting off to a 0-3 start, the Pioneers have rattled off three consecutive victories before arriving at Williams Arena, including the most recent 73-62 win over Oregon. Six players hit double digits against the Ducks, but only one is averaging more than 10 points per game. Sophomore guard Morgan Van Riper-Rose, a former Eden Prairie standout, returns to the Twin Cities as Denver's leading scorer at 15.2 per game. Theresa Wirth and Jordan Johnston are scoring just over 7 ppg.
AARON PAITICH
