The Gopher women ran their record to 15-0 and more importantly 1-0 in the Big 10 Friday night with a 74-56 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. OK, you couldn't ask for a better Big 10 opener. The Badgers came in 9-3 but they've struggled in recent years so, at Williams Arena, the Gophers figured to have an easy time of it, and they did what they had to do.
They shut down the Badgers offense in the 1st period and took a 17-7 lead. After 12 minutes of even-stephen basketball it was 40-30. Then the Gophers put it away, closing the 3rd quarter on a 15-4 run for a 55-34 lead.
The Badgers shot 35 percent, made just 5 3 pointers and nobody scored in double figures for Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Gophers shot just 40 percent and made 4 3 pointers. But, senior post Annalese Lamke, from Galesville, WI, was a model of efficiency against her home state U, making 6-of-7 FG and 8-of-10 FT for 20 points. And it was reserves Palma Kaposi, with 3 buckets, and Mercedes Staples with a 3 that led that decisive 15-4 run in the 2nd half.
A Monday night trip to Ann Arbor, MI, figures to be a much sterner test for Lindsay Whalen's Gophers but, for now, hey, it's good to be 15-0 and #12 in the nation.
Player of the Day--Annalese Lamke
Team of the Day--Gopher women
Coach of the Day--Lindsay Whalen
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