Gophers Open Big Ten with Two Wins; Head to Wisconsin

The Gopher women’s basketball team used solid defensive efforts in home games against Northwestern and Indiana to open Big 10 Conference play with two victories. The Gophers (11-2; 2-0) play their first conference road game Thursday against Wisconsin in a regionally-televised game on Fox Sports Network.

Guard April Calhoun keyed a defense that held a Big 10 opponent under 50 points for the second straight game in a 61-47 win Sunday at Williams Arena.

Calhoun recorded 7 steals, 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in what was probably her best game as a Gopher. Post player Janel McCarville recorded her 4th straight double-double for the Gophers with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Despite a conflict with the Vikings-Redskins game, the Gophers entertained a crowd of 10,331, their largest crowd of the year. Former Gopher Lindsay Whalen was honored in a pre-game ceremony and at halftime, as her #13 jersey was retired.

The Gophers had opened conference play with an easy 62-44 win over Northwestern. In a game in which Coach Pam Borton was able to use 13 players, the Gophers again used solid defense to stifle the Wildcats. Calhoun again lead the defense, which limited Northwestern to 30% shooting from the field. McCarville led the team in scoring with 13 and rebounds with 14.

Notes and Observations:

• On to Wisconsin. The Gophers travel to Madison Thursday to face the Wisconsin Badgers (6-5, 1-1). The Badgers are coming off a 62-60 win over Northwestern on Sunday, after opening conference play with a home loss to Purdue. This is a game the Gophers should win, although there are no guarantees in conference road games.
• Offense Still Needs Work. As good as the Gophers defense has been to open the conference schedule, the offense is still a work in progress. McCarville has been the best offensive player by far. Jamie Broback, who helped with the scoring in non-conference play, scored only 6 points in the first two conference games on 3 of 13 shooting from the field. Shannon Bolden has picked up some of the slack, with 18 points in two games and Calhoun also contributed 18 points in these two games.
• Williams Off the Bench. Natasha Williams, the Gopher freshman post player, has been getting more playing time since the holiday break. The 6′ 3″ Williams played 9 minutes against Indiana and 5 minutes against Northwestern. She’s played in the first half of both games, so these haven’t been mop-up minutes. When recruited, Williams was regarded as a bit of a “diamond in the rough”, very athletic, with a big wingspan, the ability to defend and block shots. She’ll need to develop her offensive skills, but she’s an intriguing player who could contend for the starting position that will be vacated by McCarville at the end of the year.
• In the Zone. The Gophers used a rare zone defense out of a timeout in the second half against Indiana. The Hoosiers scored on the possession and the Gophers didn’t use the zone again that day.
• Iowa. The No. 18 Hawkeyes continued to roll along undefeated with a 72-58 win at Illinois on Sunday. At 13-0, the Hawkeyes can probably finish .500 in the Big 10 and get an NCAA berth. Iowa faces Penn State on Thursday in what could be the Hawkeyes’ toughest game of the year so far.
• Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost their conference opener at Penn State. Ohio State played a relatively soft non-conference schedule, but they were still expected by many to lose only 1 to 3 conference games. Their opening loss to Penn State might be an indication that the fight for the Big 10 title could be tighter than expected.
• VA Tech/Maryland. Virginia Tech, a team the Gophers defeated at Williams Arena earlier this year, upset No. 17 Maryland Sunday in Blacksburg , VA.

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