Gopher women top Wisconsin in overtime

Minnesota women’s basketball captured its first Big Ten win of the season in a thrilling, 88-83 overtime victory at Wisconsin (3-4, 0-4 B1G) Sunday afternoon.

Playing in just the fourth overtime game in series history, the Gophers (2-4, 1-3 B1G) scored the first seven points of the extra session and finished with 18 total in the frame to tie a program record for points in an overtime period. The victory was their eighth straight in Madison, extending the team’s longest active road win streak against one school.

Senior Gadiva Hubbard was one of five Gophers in double figures, notching a season-high 24 points. Nineteen of her 24 points came in the second half, including nine alone in the overtime session. It was her highest scoring game since scoring 24 last season against UC Davis, and it was her 15th career 20-point game.

Sophomore Kadi Sissoko recorded her first career double-double, and the first by a Gopher this season, with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Nine of those 10 rebounds came in the second half, and she added a career-best five assists.

Matching Sissoko with 16 points was senior Laura Bagwell Katalinich, marking a season high. She also recorded five rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Joining those three in double figures were sophomores Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia, who each scored 11 points. All 11 of Scalia’s season-high points came in the first half as she was limited to just four minutes of action in the second half due to injury, while Powell tied Sissoko for the team lead with five assists.

Tied at 70-70 following regulation, the Gophers jumped out to a 77-70 lead in less than two minutes as Bagwell Katalinich hit a jumper, freshman Alexia Smith forced a steal and a fastbreak layup and Powell hit a 3-pointer.

The lead remained at seven for the Gophers with 2:01 to play, but Wisconsin scored five in a row and had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with 23 seconds left. However, the Badgers were issued a technical foul for calling a timeout when they did not have any left. Hubbard stepped to the line and made both free throws, then made two more free throws when Wisconsin was forced to foul.

In all, Hubbard scored the final nine points of overtime for the Gophers, including two additional free throws following an offensive rebound. The team is now 3-0 all-time under head coach Lindsay Whalen in overtime games and has won seven of their last eight such contests dating to the 2014-15 season.

Minnesota led 22-11 after the first quarter as seven different Gophers scored in the opening frame. It was the team’s highest scoring first quarter. That led to Minnesota’s highest scoring first half as it took a 41-30 advantage into intermission. It was the first time Minnesota led at halftime this season and matched the second half against Eastern Illinois for most points in any half this season.

Hubbard turned into the Gophers’ stopper as whenever Wisconsin threatened, she had the answer. The Badgers opened the second half on a 9-2 run, but Hubbard’s 3-pointer turned things back in the Gophers’ favor. Wisconsin later got within two at 50-48, but Hubbard had a 3-point play to push the lead back to five.

In the fourth quarter, Wisconsin tied the game at 64-64, but Hubbard answered with a second-chance layup. The Badgers tied it again at 68-68, but Hubbard drove the left side of the lane and hit a layup to put the Gophers up 70-68 with just 23 seconds left in regulation. Minnesota led from wire-to-wire but all four instances of the game being tied came in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, including Imani Lewis’ basket with six seconds left that sent the game to overtime.

The Gophers scored 25 points off 21 Wisconsin turnovers, while Minnesota committed a season-low 10 turnovers, leading to just nine Badgers points. In addition, the Gophers’ 24 bench points were a season high.

Minnesota is back in action Wednesday night in a road contest at Iowa.