Exhibition game against UMD is next up for Gophers women

Last update: November 8, 2009 - 1:02 AM

Exhibition games involving Division I basketball teams are usually ho-hum affairs. The home team, representing the bigger school, almost always wins easily.

But something went seriously wrong for the Gophers women's team on Wednesday. It lost. For the first time in 15 exhibition games.

Was it an aberration, a bad dream?

Fans will get a chance to find out more about coach Pam Borton's eighth Gophers team at 2 p.m. today when it faces Minnesota Duluth at Williams Arena. The Bulldogs -- like Wednesday's victor, Winona State -- are a NCAA Division II program from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

"[Winona State] outplayed and outworked us," Borton said. "They came in and just played great together."

The Gophers? "I don't think we figured out even at the end of the game that they could make threes," said Borton, referring to the Warriors' 12 three-pointers. "We've got to be able to make adjustments a little better than that during the course of the game."

Borton said she had a grocery list of items for the Gophers to work on in practice.

UMD might offer a test, too. The Bulldogs have 10 returning letter-winners from a 16-12 team, including 5-10 forward Jheri Booker. She is the preseason pick for player of the year in the NSIC after averaging 15.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 steals last season.

ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ

Etc.

• The Gophers women's volleyball match against Purdue at 1 p.m. today at the Sports Pavilion will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

• Kayli Schumacher had 11 kills and led St. Benedict to a 25-20, 25-22, 25-11 sweep of visiting St. Olaf in the MIAC volleyball championship on Saturday.

• Concordia (St. Paul) clinched its seventh consecutive NSIC volleyball title with a 25-11, 25-11, 25-12 sweep of visiting MSU Moorhead.

• Scott Petesch's goal in the 61st minute lifted Macalester to a 1-0 victory over host Carleton in the MIAC men's soccer championship match.

• Niki Tomita's hat trick propelled Carleton past Macalester 3-0 in the MIAC women's soccer championship match.

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