2 p.m. vs. Drake, BTN Plus, 96.7-FM
Gophers update: A limited number of practices as well as a roster limited to seven by injury and illness contributed to a relatively difficult opening four-point victory over Eastern Illinois. The Gophers will have to be better against Drake. But there is a chance freshman G Caroline Strande could return from injury. Coach Lindsay Whalen stressed ball movement and spacing on offense after the EIU game. On defense, the Gophers worked on ball pressure. The Gophers held a 19-9 edge in second-chance points, which proved critical. F Kadi Sissoko's 24 points Wednesday tied Kenisha Bell (2016) for most points in a Gophers debut dating back to the 1976-77 season. PG Jasmine Powell had 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds, but also seven turnovers.
Drake update: The Bulldogs (1-2) will be more of a challenge than EIU. Drake beat Creighton before losing to Wisconsin-Green Bay and Iowa. But the Bulldogs pushed Iowa to the limit in a 103-97 loss. They are led by F Grace Berg (20 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists). Senior G Maddie Monahan, a former star at Glencoe-Silver Lake, is averaging 17.3 points and 3.7 assists. F Monica Burich, from Roseville, is averaging 7.3 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Note: The game is not on TV but is available on the BTN Plus subscription streaming service.
