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Zahui B. powers team to victory

Center Amanda Zahui B. scored 39 points and had 29 boards in the game.

Amanda Zahui B. scored only eight points in Minnesota’s last game before fouling out.

She more than made up for that Tuesday, scoring 39 points and recording 29 rebounds in the Gophers’ 93-80 victory over No. 13 Iowa.

“Some of these things are just unprecedented. She’s a sophomore, and she’s doing things that are unheard of. She’s the total package,” head coach Marlene Stollings said.

History hasn’t been hard to come by for the Gophers this season, and Tuesday was no exception.

Zahui B. entered the game just 32 points shy of becoming the 22nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

She eclipsed that mark while also capping her historic night with a single-game program rebounding record.

“I want to be the best, and I have to keep working on it to do whatever it takes to become that player,” she said.

Zahui B. finished the first half with 17 points and 14 rebounds, setting herself up for her monster night.

The Gophers got off and running early in Tuesday’s game, and freshman Carlie Wagner led the charge early.

“When you come in, you just have that good feeling. I hit my first one and after that, I was like ‘If they’re going to give me space, I’m going to put it up,’” said Wagner, who finished the game with 17 points and six assists.

As a team, the Gophers shot more than 50 percent from the floor.

“We all have confidence in each other. When the game gets close, we all just get closer together [and think,] ‘We’re going to win this game. Whoever is open is going to take the shot and knock it down,’” Zahui B. said.

Despite the team’s strong shooting, Zahui B. was the story of the night.

One of her weaknesses this year has been her tendency to foul out of games.

Tuesday, the Swedish export had only one foul.

“She doesn’t want to be [on the bench]. She’s too much of a competitor and it’s about her just staying focused and disciplined,” Stollings said.

Throughout the season, Stollings has said she wants Minnesota to get to the free throw line at least 20 times per game.

On Tuesday, the Gophers attempted only 16 free throws, but they made 15 of them.

Zahui B. made history at the line, putting through a free throw in the second half.

With a silent Minnesota crowd, she made both free throws and solidified her spot in the Gophers’ record books as she hit the 1,000-point mark.

“I try not to focus on [the records]. I’m a person that wants my team to win, and that’s the most important thing for me,” Zahui B. said.

She has been a force on the glass all season. She made it known why Tuesday night, setting a Big Ten single-game rebounding record.

Before Tuesday, Minnesota’s single-game rebounding record was at 25.

Zahui B.’s career game also put her near the school’s single-game scoring record of 44 points.

“When Amanda is on and her energy is up and going, we feed off of it. She’s got enough to go around for the whole team, and when she’s hot like that, we really look for her inside,” Wagner said. “We have a lot of trust in her and know that she’s going to get the job done down low.”

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