In a game where points were hard to come by, the Golden Gophers found themselves on the right side, topping Wisconsin 57-55.
Amidst a four-game losing streak, and their starting point guard entering the transfer portal, the Gophers had an opportunity to forget all of that Sunday and earn a win against (5-14) rival Wisconsin.
Graduate student guard Gophers Gadiva Hubbard made her long-awaited return to the starting lineup, joining Sara Scalia, Kadi Sissoko, Deja Winters and Alanna Micheaux as the first group on the floor.
Both teams struggled to find much offense early in the game, combining for only 24 points in the first quarter. Hubbard led Minnesota with five points, but still trailed 13-11.
The Gophers’ offense began to click in the second quarter. Six points from Sara Scalia and six more off the bench from Laura Bagwell-Katalinich resulted in a 28-25 lead heading into the break.
After struggling in the paint for much of their losing skid, Minnesota out-rebounded the Badgers 21-13 in the first half of play.
The low-scoring affair continued into the second half. In the third quarter, Scalia added another game-high six points and the Gophers were able to extend their lead by one. 44-40 with 10 minutes to play.
Starting post player Alanna Micheaux recorded her fifth foul in the fourth quarter, forcing head coach Lindsay Whalen to go with Bagwell-Katalinich down the stretch.
The Gophers struggled to score points in the final quarter of play. Shooting 3-12 from the field as a team resulted in only 13 points, but it was ultimately enough to squeak out the win 57-55.
It was not pretty, as both teams shot below 37% from the field, but a game-high 16 points from Sara Scalia was enough for Minnesota to find itself in the win column.
The Gophers 16-2 difference in bench points proved to be huge in earning their first win since Jan. 12, against Wisconsin.
Next on the schedule for Minnesota is a Feb. 3 trip to Bloomington, Indiana, taking on the Big Ten-leading and No. 6 ranked Hoosiers.57-55 to snap a four-game losing streak.
