Gophers women's basketball must refocus after Mara Braun's game-winning three

Amaya Battle would not let it go.

Sunday night, in the apartment shared with fellow freshmen Nia Holloway, Mallory Heyer and Mara Braun, Battle just kept replaying the video from the end of the Gophers women's basketball team's 101-99 victory over Lehigh at Williams Arena.

Just 1.7 seconds left, Gophers down one, out of a timeout. Battle gets the ball to Braun, who turns and launches a buzzer-beating three to give Minnesota the win.

"I couldn't stop talking about it,'' Battle said. "I kept watching it. Other people were posting it, and I watched all the posts. I kept amping Mara up more and more.''

It has been a busy few days for Braun. After scoring 55 points in two nonconference victories, she was leading the Big Ten in scoring and was named conference freshman of the week. Her 34 points against Lehigh were the second-most by a freshman in program history.

With the video of her game-winner making the rounds, Braun was deluged.

"Tons of text messages, calls, people I hadn't talked to for a while,'' Braun said. "It seemed like everyone was watching the game. I definitely heard from a lot of people who were like, 'All right, we'll be at more games.' I think it put us on the map a little bit.''

But: "It's just two games,'' Braun said. "It's a long season. We have to get back to work.''

That was the message coach Lindsay Whalen stressed as the team returned to practice Tuesday after taking Monday off: Don't be distracted by what happened Sunday. Work to be ready for Thursday's game at North Dakota State.

"There was a lot of attention surrounding that game,'' Whalen said of the Lehigh victory. "Emotions, things like that. But it's over and done with. We have to move on with it as fast as we can.''

On a young team still growing together, the Gophers' youth has excelled so far.

Braun is averaging 27.5 points per game. Battle has averaged 9.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists as the backup point guard. She has 11 assists and just two turnovers in 55 minutes of playing time. Katie Borowicz is averaging 14.0 points and 3.0 assists. Center Rose Micheaux has consecutive point-rebound double-doubles.

Battle (nine), Braun (eight) and Heyer (seven) scored 24 of the Gophers' 32 fourth-quarter points Sunday.

And that game-winner?

"It's that instinct she has,'' Whalen said. "That determination, willing to take and make big shots. She gets to her spots really well, and she's been aggressive when she's needed to be.''

After that late three went in, Braun was engulfed by her teammates. Then she was hugged by Whalen, who said something to her.

"She just kinda said you're built for moments like this,'' Braun said. "Obviously, she had the confidence to give me that ball at that point in the game. And Amaya had the confidence to give me the ball, too.''

But now onto North Dakota State. The Gophers' first two games have been entertaining — particularly Sunday's — but there is still a long way to go for a young team preparing for the Big Ten schedule.

"That's the challenge for us as coaches, going on the road to play NDSU,'' Whalen said. "We have to get our team back, energized, refocused.''

But one more look back. Battle said it wasn't until she watched the replay of the shot that she realized it was a three-pointer. Braun said she's been asked a bunch of times whether she knew it was going to go in when she let the shot go.

"I want to say yes, but honestly, I knew I had to get it up and get it up fast,'' Braun said. "I kinda saw it curving in midair and then everyone just erupted. It was a really cool feeling.''