Gopher Women’s Basketball opened Big Ten play Sunday in a matchup against the No. 7-ranked University of Maryland Terrapins. They ultimately lost 100-99 in double overtime.
The University of Minnesota had multiple leads and opportunities to close the game out, but Maryland’s late pressure swung the score in the final seconds.
“I’m really proud of our young ladies. I thought they competed their hearts out. I thought they played at a really high level against one of the best teams in the country,” Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.
Minnesota started the game strong.
After a tight first quarter, the Gophers’ offense exploded in the second. They outscored Maryland 24-9 in the quarter, controlling the game on both sides of the court. The intensity they brought on the defensive end fueled their transition offense, and they carried a 38-24 lead into the second half.
“During the first half, we kind of had an edge about us,” sophomore Tori McKinney said. “We were helping each other. We weren’t letting them get second chance opportunities. We were boxing them out, getting rebounds.”
Maryland responded in the third quarter and a stretch of turnovers by Minnesota cut into their lead. The Terrapins continued to chip away, going on a 10-run in the fourth quarter. Still, Minnesota was just as relentless, not letting Maryland complete the comeback yet.
Senior Amaya Battle, who had gone 0-7 on the floor at that point, finally broke through with her first basket of the game and added a key free throw to tie the game late in regulation. Battle would go on to finish the game with 13 points, seven assists and 12 rebounds for the double-double.
One overtime session was not enough to separate the two teams, either. Minnesota and Maryland traded baskets quite evenly throughout the first overtime session. The Gophers held a five-point lead with under 30 seconds remaining, but Maryland executed flawlessly under that pressure to force a second overtime.
Redshirt junior Mara Braun was on the board first to open double overtime, and once more, the momentum was in Minnesota’s favor.
Minnesota was leading by nine points in the final minute of play, but Maryland refused to fold, and Minnesota was plagued by multiple inbounding errors. The Terrapins forced and capitalized on back-to-back turnovers, securing quick points. It was an 8-0 run in just nine seconds. The chaotic sequence sent Tori McKinney, who had been strong all game, to the bench with her fifth foul.
In the end, Maryland’s pressure and Minnesota’s late turnovers ended up deciding the game. Despite a resilient, high-effort performance, the Gophers saw their lead slip away several times. In the final seconds of the second overtime, the Terrapins completed the comeback for a one-point win.
Junior Grace Grocholski led the way for the Gophers offense with 31 points, sinking a career-high nine three-pointers. But for her, the emotions were focused on the team effort falling just short.
“That’s a tough loss. A lot of people call that a heartbreaker,” Grocholski said. “We fought as hard as we could.”
Plitzuweit shared a similar sense of pride in her team’s fight, but also said she believes this loss will be a learning experience. She said it has given her an opportunity to see what situations they need to continue to develop in.
“This group has been an amazing group in terms of learning and growing,” Plitzuweit said. “We’re going to continue to do that. I believe they’ll respond at a high level and learn.”
