Gophers-Purdue women's basketball preview
January 24, 2019 at 2:42AM
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Boilermakers offer tough test
Gophers update: Minnesota is coming off a difficult loss in Nebraska on Sunday. This is the first game back home — it will be streamed on BTN Plus — after splitting two road games; the Gophers won at Wisconsin on Jan. 17. Now the Gophers have to prove they can beat someone other than the Badgers in conference play. The Gophers are 10-2 at home this season, 1-2 in Big Ten play. The Gophers are second in Division I basketball with 443 free throw attempts. Their 301 made FTs are tied for fourth nationally.
Purdue update: The Boilermakers are second in the conference at 5-2 and 14-6 overall. Their nonconference schedule included top teams such as Connecticut and South Carolina, a team Purdue took to two overtimes before losing. In conference, Purdue has beaten contenders Iowa (5-2) and Northwestern (4-3). But one of its two losses was at Wisconsin, a team the Gophers have beaten twice. Like Minnesota, Purdue plays a very tight rotation, with five players averaging 26.9 or more minutes per game. Guards Dominique Oden (15.5 points per game) and Karissa McLaughlin (15.4) lead the Boilermakers.
KENT YOUNGBLOOD
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Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.
