Minnesota women’s basketball went 1-1 in Virginia’s 36th Cavalier Classic Tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Although growing pains were visible, the freshmen continued to provide for a majority of the team’s production. Their performance moved them to 4-2 on the season.
Nov. 26 vs. Virginia
The game began with both teams slowly exchanging buckets. It wasn’t until Big Ten’s freshman of the week Mallory Heyer knocked down a three that the Gophers’ lead lifted beyond one possession.
Interior defensive help from Alanna Micheaux and Heyer limited Virginia’s scoring and kept the Gophers’ lead throughout the first quarter. Their presence around the basket forced the Cavs to shoot 29% from the field and miss multiple layups.
However, Minnesota did not maintain the momentum for long. Virginia made the first basket of the second quarter and did not let up, scoring an unanswered 13 points through six minutes.
In an attempt to turn things around, the Gophers rushed themselves into turning the ball over nine times. The Cavs scored 14 points off of said turnovers and reclaimed the lead by the end of the first half with a score of 22-10
Scoring in the second half was consolidated to mostly one player on each side: Mara Braun with 20 points for the Gophers, and Camryn Taylor with 14 for the Cavs. Sixteen of Braun’s 20 points came from her last-minute efforts in the fourth quarter.
And in possessions where she wasn’t busy hitting her shots, guard Amaya Battle created opportunities elsewhere, directing the offense at the top of the key and snagging offensive boards. She finished the game with 10 rebounds and six assists, and she tied the team-high in plus-minus with +8.
Their impact carried over into the final moments and was the foundation of the Gophers’ impressive comeback.
With less than a minute to go, Heyer grabbed Braun’s miss and kicked it back out to Katie Borowicz, who made the three to put them behind by one point. But when the Gophers went back to Borowicz on the next possession, the Cavs’ Taylor stole the ball and, along with it, Minnesota’s chances of winning. Virginia closed the game out with a couple of free throws, pushing the final score to 70-73.
Nov. 27 vs. Liberty
Minnesota’s win over Liberty on Sunday included one of their best defensive performances from start to finish. Liberty shot 38.7% from the field and a season-low 11.1% from the three-point range.
Borowicz’s play was fundamental in achieving this feat. She debilitated Liberty’s backcourt with her scrappy prowess around the perimeter, racking up five steals and a block.
On offense, she started hot by getting involved in Minnesota’s first seven points of the game. Her efforts, however, were not enough to build a strong lead. The Gophers led 16-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Her hot hand went well into the second quarter. And yet again, she was heavily involved in the offense early on. This time contributing to Minnesota’s first 12 points of the quarter.
Despite this, Liberty remained unphased because their center Mya Berkman had been performing just as well. She accumulated nine points and five rebounds in the second quarter to help Liberty restrain Minnesota’s lead from getting too out of reach.
The shootout between Borowicz and Berkman continued into the second half. But it was Minnesota’s inclusion of Battle in their offense that dictated the direction and, eventually, the conclusion of the game.
She provided scoring support for Borowicz’s career night and included flashes of playmaking, opening the paint for Heyer and other Gopher forwards to enter and bring in offensive rebounds.
Holding onto a double-digit lead with two minutes left, the Gophers coasted on conservative play calls for the rest of the game. Minnesota won 77-65, with Borowicz finishing with 21 points and going 9 for 11 from the field.
