The Gophers women's basketball team crushed Concordia (St. Paul) 76-49 on Wednesday at Williams Arena in its exhibition opener.
Guard Rachel Banham, the Big Ten freshman of the year last season, led the Gophers with 22 points, five rebounds and five steals. She was eight of 14 from the field.
Three of Banham's teammates also scored in double figures. Kionna Kellogg had 14 points, Mikayla Bailey 11 and Kayla Hirt 10.
Bailey, a freshman from Osseo High School, scored all her points in the first half. Banham, Kellogg and Bailey all made two three-point baskets as the Gophers hit seven of 11 attempts from behind the arc.
Hirt, a redshirt freshmen who missed the past two seasons because of ACL surgery on one knee and then the other, also had five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes.
Sophomore Anika Whiting led the Golden Bears with 18 points.
This was the fifth meeting between the Gophers and the Golden Bears, an NCAA Division II team which was 11-17 last season. The Gophers were 4-0 against Concordia in four regular-season games in the 1970s.
The Gophers were 19-17 last season, closing with four victories en route to the Women's Basketball Invitational championship.
