GOPHERS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

6 p.m. Wednesday at Troy in the WNIT semifinals

Streaming; radio: ESPN+, 102.5 FM

Opening bell: After their 65-54 quarterfinal victory Monday night at Wyoming, the Gophers had a three-hour bus ride to Denver, a flight to Atlanta and then another three hours on the bus to Troy, Ala. Meanwhile, the Trojans (22-11) stayed at home after their 14-point win over Louisiana Monroe on Monday night. The Gophers (18-15) are coming off their second come-from-behind victory of the WNIT tournament, both comebacks led by Amaya Battle. In the round of 16 on Friday night, she scored five points during a 7-0 run to end the game in a 69-65 win over North Dakota State. On Monday, she scored 14 of her 29 points in the fourth quarter, including every Minnesota point during a 9-2 run that took the Gophers from down a point to in control. Her 29-point, four-rebound, four-assist game at Wyoming came with leading scorer Mara Braun out after she reinjured her right foot. Braun's status remains questionable for this game.

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Watch her: Battle has taken advantage of the extended play in the WNIT run to go to another level. Going back to the Big Ten Conference tournament, she has averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in her last five games. Mallory Heyer has averaged 10.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in three WNIT games. Center Sophie Hart has scored in double figures in five straight games, shooting 61.7 % during that time.

Forecast: The Gophers get an experienced Troy team that has won each of its WNIT games by 14 or more points. The Trojans have four seniors and a junior in the starting lineup. Troy finished second in the Sun Belt Conference and led the nation in rebounding at 47.8 per game. It will be a challenge, given the Gophers' travel schedule, to play for the second time in three nights.