Gophers rip Norfolk State behind big night from true freshman

Grace Grocholski, a standout freshman from Wisconsin, led the blowout.

The Minnesota Gophers women's basketball team improved to 6-1 on the season with a 74-43 win over Norfolk State Wednesday night at Williams Arena. 

While Mara Braun typically steals the spotlight, this time around it was true freshman Grace Grocholski who scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. 

Grocholski, from Kettle Moraine High School west of the Milwaukee area, was a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN's HoopGurlz. Grocholski was originally committed to West Virginia but changed plans when Dawn Plitzuweit left the Mountaineers to become the head coach at Minnesota.

The Gophers led 40-22 at the half and then turned on the jets in the second half before running away with the landslide victory. The turning point was the middle quarters when Minnesota outscored Norfolk State 35-14. 

Amaya Battle added 14 points, five assists and four steals while Sophie Hart finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Braun struggled with her shot and finished with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-9 from 3. 

Catch up on tonight's 31-point win over Norfolk State! 🎥

RECAP: https://t.co/VjqXYSQpON pic.twitter.com/UrtR7hbRJd

— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) November 30, 2023

Up next: Minnesota vs. Drake, Saturday at 1 p.m.