Gophers almost complete improbable comeback at No. 8 Maryland
Newly ranked Gophers women's basketball faced its toughest test of the season Tuesday night on the road against No. 8 Maryland. They put up a good fight, but their upset bid fell short 99-92 against one of the Big Ten's best teams.
Minnesota got reinforcements on Tuesday night, as star freshman Tori McKinney returned to the starting lineup after missing last week's game against Rutgers with a concussion.
Early on, the Gophers looked like they belonged on the same floor with one of the Big Ten's best teams with a very competitive first quarter. Thanks to nine points from Amaya Battle, they jumped out to an early 19-17 lead after 10 minutes of play.
Maryland fought back in the second quarter, as Minnesota cooled down with 5-16 (31.3%) shooting from the field as a team. Shyanne Sellers led all scorers with 12 first-half points, and the Terrapins carried a 42-37 lead in the locker room.
Despite using only an eight-player rotation, Maryland looked like a much deeper and experienced team in the second half. The Terrapins were able to play their pace of basketball and slowly pull away, but the Gophers didn't go away without a fight.
Maryland led 93-73 with 2:26 to go, but Minnesota responded with a miraculous 19-2 run. It was 95-92 with 20 seconds to go, but the Terrapins were able to hold on and win 99-92.
Grace Grocholski scored 16 of her 18 points in the second half, Battle had another impressive game with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Mallory Heyer and Sophie Hart added 15 and 14 points respectively.
Ex-Minnesota head coach Brenda Frese now moves 14-1 all-time against her former program. The Gophers will look to get back on track Sunday on the road against an ailing 7-9 Northwestern team.
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