Rose Micheaux leads Gophers past Penn State with 31 points, 14 rebounds

For most of the game, Rose Micheaux carried the Gophers women's basketball team.

Posting up, driving from the elbow, hitting the midrange, defending, rebounding. The Gophers sophomore center was carrying the load, on the road, at Penn State, waiting for her teammates to join the fray.

Finally, they did.

Five players scored in a 10-0 run that ended with Micheaux's basket with 2½ minutes left in the fourth quarter, a run that turned a one-point deficit into a nine-point Gophers lead they never lost.

The final: Minnesota 75, Penn State 67.

Micheaux: A career-high 31 points, 14 rebounds, 14-for-18 shooting. She used her rapidly improving footwork to score inside, her strength to split double-teams.

"I feel like it just clicked,'' Micheaux, who scored a career-high 24 vs. Illinois on Sunday. told reporters. "We all had a chip on our shoulder, felt we had something to prove. We executed like we needed to.''

"She was exactly what we've seen from her of late,'' Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen said. "Poised, balanced. She fought through contact. I'm so proud of her.''

When Micheaux picked up her fourth foul 6:48 left and the Gophers down one, things looked dicey. Not to worry. Everyone else was getting up to speed.

Angelina Hammond was fouled and hit both free throws to put the Gophers back up. Then, with Penn State going ice-cold — the Nittany Lions would go 0-for-5 with three turnovers during the Gophers' run — Minnesota got going. Maggie Czinano scored on a drive. Mallory Heyer scored on a layup. Mara Braun hit a jumper. Then Micheaux scored and the Gophers were up nine.

It seems strange to say it after one player scores 31 points. But this was a team win, especially in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota (9-10, 2-6 Big Ten) hit nine of 10 free down the stretch to seal the win, which ended a five-game losing streak and was the first road victory of the season in six tries.

Six Gophers players scored in the fourth quarter, during which Minnesota shot 8-for-11 and made 11 of 14 free throws and outscored Penn State 27-19. Braun scored 10 of her 15 points in the fourth, and Katie Borowicz — coming off the bench in her first game back from illness — scored five of her seven. Micheaux and Heyer had four each. Heyer finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Gophers scored 48 points in the paint — the team hit just one three-pointer — shot 50% overall and held Penn State to 6-for-16 shooting in the fourth quarter. That the Gophers were able to win, on the road, despite 27 turnovers was a testament to their team defense.

Penn State (11-8, 2-6) got 25 points from Makenna Marisa and 17 from Shay Ciezki while losing its third straight game.

"it was so much fun,'' said Micheaux, who got her seventh double-double of the season and her third straight. In those three games she has made 32 of 47 shots (60.1%) and averaged 24 points and 12.7 rebounds. "I've put a lot of time and energy into my own craft, and I also have the support of my teammates and coaches.''