Rachel Banham didn't count on being a spectator at her last regular-season game at Williams Arena. The Gophers guard had no choice when she committed her fifth foul with 41.3 seconds left in overtime Wednesday night, forcing her to watch from the bench as Ohio State erased a slim Gophers lead.
"It was stressful," Banham admitted. "But I felt like we had control in overtime, and I knew Carlie could hit that shot."
Had Banham been on the floor, the Gophers would have put the ball in her hands. Instead, Carlie Wagner — a sophomore — upstaged her elders on senior night by popping in a short jumper with eight-tenths of a second left, giving the Gophers a wild 90-88 victory over the fifth-ranked Buckeyes. Wagner's winner came after the Gophers (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) lost a two-point lead with half of a second left in the fourth quarter, as Alexa Hart scored off an inbounds pass.
Wagner was angered by her turnover in those last seconds and used that emotion to her advantage in overtime. She scored eight points in the extra period and delivered their first victory over a top-five team in 11 years, before a season-best crowd announced at 6,434.
Banham scored a game-high 35 points to reach 777 for the season, breaking the Gophers' single-season record of 750 she set in 2013-14. Wagner had 26, and the Gophers' solid defense held the Buckeyes to 1-for-6 shooting in overtime.
"I just feel like I have a responsibility to step up when Rachel's out, especially in a tight situation like that," Wagner said. "I just knew I had to be aggressive and get to the basket. I got angry, and I wanted to get in there, so I just took the shot. And it just happened to fall."
Coach Marlene Stollings happily pointed out that the Gophers seniors ended their careers with a 3-0 record over Ohio State at Williams Arena. Actually, in fifth-year senior Banham's case it's 4-0. They had to fight for this one. The Buckeyes (23-5, 15-2) arrived on an 11-game win streak and had lost only twice in their past 20 games.
It didn't start well, as the Gophers made four of their first 27 shot attempts and shot 26 percent in the first half. Ohio State wasn't much better, shooting 35 percent as it took a 34-30 lead at halftime.
The Gophers trailed by 11 in the third quarter before finishing on a 21-9 run, seizing a 57-54 lead going into the fourth quarter. With time expiring, Jessie Edwards snared the rebound of Banham's miss and scored to put the Gophers ahead 78-76. Their first celebration was cut short when the officials put half a second back on the clock, giving Hart just enough time to score on Ameryst Alston's inbounds lob.
Banham and Wagner made sure the Gophers got a second crack at it. They scored all 12 of their team's points in overtime, giving Minnesota a victory that kept it tied for fourth place in the Big Ten with Indiana — and kept alive its NCAA tournament hopes.
"I've always known they're tough," Stollings said. "But to show it on the biggest stage, against No. 5 in the nation, speaks volumes to their heart."
