Gophers at a glance: After opening the Big Ten season with a loss at Michigan State and a victory at Wisconsin, the Gophers (12-4, 1-1) are among six teams tied for fourth place in the conference standings. They are 9-1 at home. Last season, they upset the ninth-ranked Buckeyes 76-65 at Williams Arena, ending a four-game losing streak in the series; they are 11-51 overall against Ohio State, with eight of those victories coming at home. Sophomore guard Rachel Banham scored nine points against Wisconsin, ending a streak of 17 consecutive games in double figures, and now is the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten (20.6 points per game).
Buckeyes at a glance: Last week, the Buckeyes (10-5, 0-2) opened the Big Ten season with two losses, the first time that has happened since the 2000-01 season. A 77-71 overtime defeat at Iowa was followed by a 79-73 loss to Illinois at home, ending a 31-game winning streak at Value City Arena. Minneapolis native Tayler Hill shined in both games; the senior guard scored a career-high 34 points against Iowa and 30 against Illinois to surpass Banham as the top scorer in the Big Ten (21.1 points per game). She has scored in double figures in 49 consecutive games and needs three points to reach 1,700 for her career. Senior guard Amber Stokes, the reigning Big Ten defensive player of the year, sprained a knee against Illinois and is out for four weeks.
RACHEL BLOUNT
