Game 2: Gophers host Vermont (11-8-24)

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Ignatius L Hoops

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Moving Up a Little Higher

As last season drew to a close, Vermont (America East) and Minnesota were on track for a WNIT championship confrontation. St. Louis derailed that momentum in the WNIT semifinals by edging the Catamounts in Burlington, Vermont 57-54. Then, for good measure, the Billikens rolled past the Gophers 69-50 in the final.

How the Catamounts and Gophers would’ve matched up is an open question; but it should be noted that Vermont advanced to the WNIT semifinals by defeating Purdue 67-59 a team Minnesota eked past 60-58 earlier in the season. Even though Minnesota is 10-0 versus America East teams, defeating the Gophers last Spring may have required only a short cat leap.

Vermont finished 3rd behind Maine and Albany in America East with a 12-4 record (25-12 overall). In the conference tournament, Maine defeated Vermont 64-48 for the America East title and the automatic NCAA berth leaving Vermont with a WNIT bid.

The Catamounts return three starters from last season’s squad plus welcome the return of a point guard.

Leading Vermont into the season is a 6’1” graduate forward from Monticello, Minnesota, Anna Olson. Except for two senior nights, Olson has started every game of her career. She was all conference 1st team as a junior and 2nd team all-conference as a senior averaging 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game.

Also returning is 5’8” junior guard Keira Hanson the reigning America East 6th Player of the Year. Hanson’s scoring improved during the conference play to 11.3 points per game. She was a three-point threat dropping 34-88 (.386).

Joining Hanson in the back court is 5’9 junior guard Bella Vito. Playing the point last season, she averaged 4.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.7 minutes per game. Her highwater mark was 14 points and 11 rebounds in the WNIT win over Purdue.

Returning to the lineup after missing a year because of injury is 5’8” red shirt junior point guard Catherine Gilwee. In 2022-23 she averaged 10.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Gilwee knocked down 74 threes (she hit at a .385 clip).

One of the newcomers welcomed by the Catamounts is 5’7” senior guard and transfer from D2 St. Thomas Aquinas, Sarah Erickson. They’re hoping her 16 points and 8.2 rebounds per game make the jump to D1.

This is the third meeting between Vermont and Minnesota. In the first, the Gophers prevailed 74-59 at Williams in November 2006. The second, a 90-58 Minnesota home win on November 11, 2019, featured two second year head coaches and former point guards: Minnesota’s Lindsay Whalen and Vermont’s Alisa Kresge.

Before facing Vermont in 2019, Minnesota dropped their home opener to an upwardly mobile Missouri State team. Romping past the Catamounts launched the Gophers on an eleven-game winning streak including victories over Notre Dame and Arizona State. That was as good as it got. Minnesota, struck by inner turmoil, went 5-14 before the pandemic brought down the curtain.

Alisa Kresge’s coaching career has a pandemic split. Pre-pandemic she was named interim head coach for the 2018-19 season and was 11-18 (7-9 in AE). The year Vermont played Minnesota, the interim tag was removed and the Catamounts finished 12-18 (6-10 in AE). The pandemic limited the 2020-21 season to six games. Then things got good for Kresge, the former Marist point guard who was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year three times.

In 2021-22 Vermont tied for third in AE with a 13-5 conference record (20-11 overall). That was followed by America East regular season and tournament titles in 2022-23. The reward was getting smoked by UConn 95-52 in the NCAA opening round.

Last season, Vermont slipped back to third in the AE. However, Kresge says it’s time to upgrade the competition. Vermont, which led the AE in defense holding conference opponents to 51 points per game, will be tested out of the gate. Before traveling to Williams Arena the Catamounts will host Missouri. That’s a short week of immediate feedback.
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(It's worth noting that Missouri is in trouble as a program -- a lame duck coach, in her final contract year, presumably, is having trouble attracting players.)
 








Vermont looks way quicker than us right now and getting any shot they want.
 


Look very disorganized offensively, settling for 3 points shots that aren’t going in. Hart is not having a good start to the season, hopefully she picks it up.
 

Hart does look slower. I wonder how long her back injury from last year went into the offseason. Vermont is fouling her every time she gets the ball so could be good for limited run to get into the bonus.

Please start the second half with the same lineup that ended the half - Battle, Braun, Woodson, Stewart, Grocholski
 



Did the sideline camera crap out or something? This angle is awful
 


After a slow start, the women played a very solid 2nd half. Better defense, better rebounding, and better shooting. This team is certainly deeper than last season. Amaya Battle looks so much more in control and much more confident. She kept us close in the 1st half and showed a lot of poise in the point guard role.
 

Mara with 8 steals, she almost had a double double as she wa close to a few others. Second half was definitely better in all facets. Battle played great. Good to see Kennedy on the floor and making a shot. I really like Johnson so far this season
 


Katogopher said:
Mara with 8 steals, she almost had a double double as she wa close to a few others. Second half was definitely better in all facets. Battle played great. Good to see Kennedy on the floor and making a shot. I really like Johnson so far this season
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Was wondering how many steals she had. Most of them turned directly into points too.
 

We definitely had moments were things just weren't running smooth but didn't panic and wore them down with depth.

Battles shooting form looks so much better than her freshman year. It's a smoother release out in front of her instead of over her head slightly to the right
 




Belzx009 said:
I’m thinking it’s more her defense. That’s why Tori is getting a lot of playing time.
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Its got to be that. You can tell she is a scorer. Hopefully she works her way into the lineup more. I think she could be special.
 

Tonight was a good win and good night to hear their first commit of 2026! Vermont I believe will be a solid team through out the year so it was a better test. Bigger bench helping to keep players fresh. That will be even more important as the year goes on. Great to see Battle with a lot of confidence.
 

Braun with 33 minutes, Battle with 34 and Grocholski 30. They are still driving the bus.

I was a little concerned early when Vermont was taking it to the Gophers inside
 



The Killer B's saved the day! Great job out there Amaya and Mara. Tip my hat to Annika as well. She is solid. A slow start but once they got going the team, they got it together! Well done, Gophers!!
 

JellyBean2144 said:
The Killer B's saved the day! Great job out there Amaya and Mara. Tip my hat to Annika as well. She is solid. A slow start but once they got going the team, they got it together! Well done, Gophers!!
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What was nice about the slow start….the Gophers had a bench to help! Woodson had some nice hustle plays early, Stewart scored and Tori’s arms were everywhere.

I’ve been excited about this team the last couple of years, but now I’m really excited and hope they can knock off some teams!
 

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