CANCUN, MEXICO - Rachel Banham scored 20 points and Kayla Hirt, coming off the bench, had 14 as the Gophers women's basketball team beat Missouri 59-54 for its second victory in three games in the Cancun Challenge.
Banham, a sophomore point guard, was 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. She also had six assists, four rebounds and two steals in another strong all-around game.
Hirt played only 21 minutes, but the 6-2 redshirt freshman forward made seven of her 10 shots, helping the Gophers (6-1) to shoot 50 percent.
"[Kayla] made some critical shots for us down the stretch," Borton said. "She is a scorer and she is a shooter. She can make shots like nobody's business."
The Gophers bench outscored the Tigers' 24-7.
Missouri led 28-23 at halftime but finished shooting only 34 percent. Lianne Doty had 16 points and Sydney Crafton 14 for the Tigers.
Banham's basket with 1:38 left to play gave the Gophers a 55-53 lead. Hirt's jumper with 50 seconds made it 57-54 Gophers.
