Gophers at a glance: The Gophers (13-5, 2-2 Big Ten) lost 75-67 at No. 12 Purdue on Thursday but return home for what they hope will be a big crowd at Williams Arena. The program has been promoting this as a "Burst the Barn" game. It's also Alumni Day, with several former Gophers players expected in attendance. ... G Rachel Banham continues to lead the Gophers in scoring at 20.6 ppg, but she is just 24-for-76 (31.6 percent) from the field in Big Ten play. ... The Gophers are just 9-for-47 from three-point range in conference play. ... Reserve Leah Cotton had 17 points in 17 minutes off the bench against Purdue.
Huskers at a glance: Nebraska (12-6, 2-3) recently dropped out of the AP Top 25. The Huskers have lost to Penn State and Illinois in their past two games. Junior F Jordan Hooper leads the team in scoring at 17.9 ppg, while senior guard Lindsey Moore (14.9 ppg) is shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range. Hooper and Moore were a combined 12-for-32 (37.5 percent) from the field against the Gophers at Williams Arena last year, a game Minnesota won 64-58. Nebraska was No. 42 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index, according to rpi.com, while the Gophers were No. 51.
MICHAEL RAND
