The women’s basketball team exited the tunnel on Wednesday to the beat of Sexy Redd’s “Bow Bow Bow,” donning their maroon and gold warmups. Trailing behind them was Mara Braun.
The junior guard’s attire did not match the teams’. She wore a gray Minnesota Gophers sweatsuit with a medical boot on the same foot she broke in Illinois last season.
Plitzuweit announced Friday that Braun broke her foot when she stepped wrong and tweaked something in her right foot during a morning shootaround on Wednesday.
Plitzuweit added no further details regarding the date of Braun’s return are available at this time.
“I just feel for that kid, it’s really, really tough because she just did everything right,” Plitzuweit said. “She’ll do that again and get herself back as quickly as she can.”
Braun’s absence from the court did not stop the undefeated Gophers from continuing their early season dominance as Minnesota defeated Eastern Illinois University on Wednesday 81-52.
Freshman guard Tori McKinney started for the Gophers for the first time on Wednesday in place of Braun. McKinney averaged 15.6 minutes in the first five games of the season but led the team with 30 minutes against the Panthers on Wednesday.
McKinney drew seven fouls and added 14 points while the Panthers played an aggressive game, committing 21 fouls and surrendering 18 turnovers, opening the door for the Gophers to score.
Graduate student Annika Stewart was not surprised by McKinney’s ability to step up and deliver a strong performance.
“I told her, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re starting or coming off the bench, just go be yourself,’” Stewart said. “She did that.”
Plitzuweit emphasized McKinney’s versatility and quickness. Late in the game, McKinney sliced through the paint and navigated past the Panthers’ defense for a layup in the third quarter.
“She shoots it, she passes it well, she gets to the rim,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s someone who can tip shots, tip passes, take charges.”
Without Braun, Plitzuweit looked to other players to step up. Sophomore Grace Grocholski led the team with 16 points, marking her highest-scoring game of the season. Grocholski received passes along the 3-point arc several times, setting herself up to go four for seven in 3-pointers.
“Grace G did a really good job of trying to be a voice during the course of the game,” Plitzuweit said. “We didn’t really see it last year with G because she was a freshman.”
Grocholski, who was part of the Gophers’ roster last year during Braun’s absence, emphasized the importance of sticking to their game and moving forward.
“Continuing to play unselfishly, which is what we did tonight, and just letting the game come to us,” Grocholski said. “Just continuing to be aggressive and know what we can do within our system.”
While the date of Braun’s return remains uncertain, the team persists, hoping to maintain their undefeated record on Sunday when they play the University of Montana.
