Gophers Look to Rebound from LSU Loss; Host Drake

Like the Gophers, the Drake Bulldogs will be trying to rebound from a loss. The Bulldogs record dropped to 5-3 with an 80-69 home loss to in-state rival Iowa on Saturday. The Gophers and Drake played last year in Des Moines and the Gophers emerged with a 73-50 victory.

Drake finished with a 16-15 record last year and they return 3 starters from a team that participated in the WNIT postseason tourney. The Bulldogs, picked to finish 4th in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, are 45-26 all-time against Big 10 schools. Drake beat Big 10 school Michigan, 61-60, earlier this year.

Look for the Gophers (8-2) to rebound from a 75-67 loss to top-ranked LSU in their game Thursday against Drake.

The Gophers hope to use the game against LSU as an early-season measuring stick. The Lady Tigers showed why they’re probably the best team in the country in a game which wasn’t quite as close as the final score indicated.

Here are some notes and observations from the LSU game:

• Gopher post player Janel McCarville was outstanding, with a career high 31 points. She also had 13 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. LSU opted not to double- or triple-team McCarville. If it hadn’t have been for the defense of LSU’s 6’5″ Sylvia Fowles, a national freshman player of the year candidate, McCarville would have had an even bigger game. Fowles blocked 3 McCarville shots. She finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, despite not starting the game due to a sore ankle.
• Jamie Broback also had a good game for the Gophers with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
• The Gopher perimeter players (Shannon Schonrock, April Calhoun, Kelly Roysland, and Katie Alsdurf) struggled offensively and defensively against a quicker and more athletic LSU backcourt.
• The Gophers committed 13 first half turnovers and finished with 18.
• LSU All-American Seimone Augustus scored 22 points on 10 of 19 from the field. She was initially defended by Shannon Bolden, but Bolden was then called on to guard LSU point guard Tameka Johnson. The Gophers had no answer for the 5’3″ Johnson, who was the quickest person on the floor and probably the planet. She shot 7 of 11 from the field and finished with 18 points and 13 assists. Augustus and Johnson both played the full 40 minutes.
• If the Gophers are going to be successful in Big 10 Conference play, they’ll need more scoring from players other than McCarville and Broback. Bolden did not score in 31 minutes, and Roysland and Liz Podominick did not score off the bench, although Roysland played only 7 minutes and Podominick only 12 minutes. Also, the Gopher guards scored only 18 points against LSU.
• Freshman point guard Brittney Davis was not in uniform against LSU. She’s been concentrating on her academic efforts.

Coming Next Week: Big 10 Preview and Predictions.