(MINNEAPOLIS, MN) – Senior Rachel Banham drained five three-pointers, which included her 233rd career triple to become Minnesota's all-time leader in three-point field goals made and the game-tying three-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining, to lead the University of Minnesota (8-1) women's basketball team to an 88-86 overtime victory over Butler (2-8) Sunday night at Williams Arena. The senior finished with a season-high 35 points and added six assists and six rebounds.

Amanda Zahui B. also had a big night on both ends of the floor for the Golden Gophers, as she posted her 23rd-career double-double with a season-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and two steals. Shae Kelley and Shayne Mullaney each had nine points in the win, with Kayla Hirt chipping in eight points, six rebounds and two assists.

As a team, Minnesota shot .464 from the field, including .560 in the second half, while out-rebounding the Bulldogs, 42-38.

The Gophers scored early, but the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run spanning over four minutes to lead the Gophers by as many as nine with 5:28 left in the first half. The Gophers found a late offensive surge on an 11-3 run, including five points from Zahui B., to head into the locker room down by just one.

Mullaney added two points to open the second stanza and ignited an 8-0 run, which included Banham's three-pointer that broke the record for career three-point field goals made with 14:38 left in the game.

The Gophers led by 10 points with 9:58 remaining, but the Bulldogs cut Minnesota’s lead in half within the minute. Butler went on to regain the lead at the 4:01 mark and the two teams would battle it out as the game clock dwindled.

Minnesota trailed Butler 77-76 with 21 seconds remaining in the game before Butler’s Loryn Goodwin hit two from the line to increase their lead to 79-76.

Banham played hero, draining her fifth three-pointer on the evening, to tie the game at 79 all and send the Gophers to overtime with 4.9 seconds left in regulation. Banham, Zahui B. and Hirt all added points in overtime to lift the Gophers over Butler, 88-86.

The Gophers will travel to Grand Forks, N.D. to take on North Dakota University on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Courtesy: gophersports.com

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