The Gophers women’s basketball team overcame cold shooting with a strong defensive effort to rally for a 63-52 victory over Rutgers on Sunday, Feb. 8, in Piscataway, N.J., their sixth win in a row.
Three days after shooting 52% from the field and a school-record 71% on three-pointers in a six-point victory at No. 10 Iowa, the Gophers (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten) missed their first 10 field-goal attempts and shot just 23% from the field in the first half before outscoring the Scarlet Knights 41-27 after halftime.
The loss was the sixth in a row for last-place Rutgers (9-15, 1-12).
The Gophers, who went into the game shooting 45% from the field and 37% on three-pointers, finished it shooting 34% from the field and 29% on threes (6-for-21). But they relied on their defense by forcing 15 Rutgers turnovers, including 10 on steals.
“Defensively, we were really solid,” Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit told KFAN radio after the game. “We weren’t making shots, but I give our players credit. We got a lot of rebounds and took care of the basketball.”
Sophie Hart matched her season high with 17 points and also had 10 rebounds for the Gophers. Tori McKinney added 16 points and Mara Braun 12.
“Sophie played an amazing game,” Plitzuweit said. “She was absolutely phenomenal.”
Braun scored 10 points in the third quarter to provide a third-quarter spark. With the scored tied 33-33, she scored eight unanswered points as the Gophers forged a 41-35 lead. Hart made four free throws in the final 90 seconds of the quarter to put the Gophers up 45-37 heading into the fourth.
