Gophers

Kelley scores 33, propels Gophers women past Wisconsin

The Gophers won their 19th game, badly outrebounding Wisconsin.

For the Minnesota Star Tribune

February 12, 2015 at 5:59AM

Shae Kelley dominated, the Gophers cleaned up on the glass, and Minnesota cruised to a 93-82 victory over border rival Wisconsin on Wednesday night at Williams Arena.

Kelley led four Gophers in double figures with a career-high 33 points — scoring 13 from the free-throw line — and combined with Amanda Zahui B. for 27 rebounds (14 for Kelley, 13 for Zahui).

The Gophers (19-6, 8-5 Big Ten) have struggled on the boards much of the season, but they outrebounded a tall Wisconsin squad 52-32 and had 22 offensive rebounds to only seven for the Badgers (8-15, 4-8).

But here's the number Gophers coach Marlene Stollings mentioned first following the team's second consecutive victory: 19, as in 19 wins, one away from the oft-cited benchmark of 20 to reach the NCAA tournament.

"Moving to 19 wins on the season is huge, as we're eyeing the NCAA tournament," Stollings said. "This is the time of year you have to increase your intensity level and play with a sense of urgency."

"Urgent" is an apt description of the Gophers' situation.

Their win Sunday against Michigan State snapped the team out of a 1-4 funk. Still sitting on the inside of the NCAA tournament bubble according to the latest projections from ESPN, Minnesota seemed to carry over some of Sunday's momentum against the Badgers.

The Gophers attacked the lane at every opportunity. They scored 46 points in the paint and hit 22 of 25 free throws — both numbers are their second-highest totals in Big Ten play.

Zahui finished with 21 points, Carlie Wagner with 17.

All 93 Gophers points came from their starting five.

Shayne Mullaney chipped in 14 points to go along with nine assists, and Mikayla Bailey scored eight points.

"What an effort," Stollings said. "I thought we were really resilient tonight in handling [their] physicality."

Really, the Gophers seemed to thrive off the physical play early in the game. Despite missing six of their seven three-point attempts in the first half, they built a 10-point lead before the break by pounding the ball down low with Kelley and Zahui.

It didn't matter that Wisconsin has two 6-4 posts. Stollings said the Gophers felt they had an advantage because of the Badgers' tendency to foul while playing secondary defense.

So, they kept driving.

Kelley had 15 points by the break, and she scored 18 after halftime.

Wisconsin's Nicole Bauman scored 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting, but it wasn't enough for the Badgers to keep pace.

Kelley, the team's lone healthy senior after Rachel Banham's season-ending injury, was all smiles following the win — not so much for the career-best performance but for what win 19 means to her team.

"[It would mean] everything," she said of making the NCAA tournament. "This is my last year, and this is my last chance to do it.

"It's something I definitely think about."

The Gophers’ Shae Kelley went up for a shot against the Badgers’ Jacki Gulczynski in the first half. Kelley scored 33 points. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Shae Kelley (23) made an impressive layup during the second half. Gophers won 93-82 and Kelley scored 33 points in the game. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)