Gopher Women Open San Juan Shootout With a Win

(Gophersports.com) - The Golden Gophers moved to 4-0 on the season after a tight 72-69 win over Stetson. Mikayla Bailey scored 22 points and Rachel Banham and Carlie Wagner each had 20 in Minnesota’s San Juan Shootout opener.

Banham continued to close in on the program scoring record. She needs 11 points to reach 2,286 and surpass Lindsay Whalen’s career mark.

Bailey poured in 13 points in the first quarter, and 16 in the first half overall. She shot 5-for-7 in the half, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and tied her career high with six triples in the game.

Wagner scored a team-high seven points in the fourth quarter. She pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

The Gophers went ahead 23-18 after one quarter with all but two points coming from Bailey and Banham. Wagner scored nine points in the second quarter, but Stetson pulled ahead and had a lead as large as seven points. Minnesota cut the lead and trailed 40-39 at the half.

Banham scored six points in the third, and the Gophers were down by two entering the final quarter. A Shayne Mullaney basket late in the fourth put Minnesota up 67-66. Banham’s second 3-pointer of the quarter made it 72-68 with under a minute left on the clock.

The Hatters then made a free throw and got a stop. After a timeout at the 14.2-second mark, Stetson came up empty against the Gophers’ defense.

Karley Barnes scored six points and grabbed nine rebounds in her Minnesota debut. The junior forward had been recovering from ACL surgery.

Mullaney tallied eight assists and six rebounds. Joanna Hedstrom, in her first start of the season, had seven rebounds.

The Gophers scored 23 second-chance points off of 18 offensive rebounds. Overall they outrebounded the Hatters 45-38.

Minnesota will conclude its trip to Puerto Rico Saturday with a game against Auburn at 6 p.m. Central Time.