Gophers women’s basketball advances after defeating Toledo

The Gophers women’s basketball team won their first-round game in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) against Toledo, with a final score of 65-43. The game was played on Thursday night in Toledo. Although the Gophers struggled with their shooting, especially from three-point range where they went just 2-for-14, they took advantage of numerous turnovers by Toledo. The Rockets, who had a good season with a record of 24-9, committed 19 turnovers, allowing Minnesota to score 25 points off those mistakes. Amaya Battle led the Gophers with 18 points, followed by Grace Grocholski who scored 15, and Sophie Hart with 14 points. Minnesota built a significant lead late in the game after initially having a close contest. The Gophers took an early lead and went into the fourth quarter ahead by seven. Despite a late run from Toledo, the Gophers regained control quickly. With a strong defensive performance, they held Toledo to just 13 points in the fourth quarter. The victory helped Minnesota end a three-game losing streak. They will play their next game on the road on Sunday due to a scheduling conflict at their home arena. Khera Goss was Toledo’s leading scorer with 11 points.