Golden Gophers Vs. Nittany Lions Final Score: Minnesota Falls 78-74

The Golden Gophers nearly pulled off a stunning upset on Friday night. Ultimately, the Minnesota women’s basketball team could not sustain an incredible first half. They lost to Penn State by a final score of 78-74 in the second round of the Big Ten tournament.

The Golden Gophers led by as much as 13 points in the first half. They took a 36-29 lead into the break, but a late 11-3 run by the Nittany Lions portended a rough second half.

Penn State used a 10-0 run early in the second half to pull away from their opponents. The Golden Gophers fought back, getting within two points with a 73-71 score with under 30 second to play. Fouls gave the Nittany Lions their opportunity to seal the deal.

Rachel Banham led Minnesota with 25 points. All five Penn State starters finished in double figures, led by Maggie Lucas with 24.

The loss likely made it the last game of the season for the Gopher women as they likely needed the Big Ten's automatic bid to make the NCAA Tournament.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about women's basketball in general at SB Nation's Swish Appeal.

Golden Gophers Vs. Nittany Lions Score Update: Minnesota Leads Penn State 36-29 At Halftime

The Minnesota women's basketball team is playing inspired basketball with their backs against the wall, leading the Pen State Nittany Lions, 36-29, at the half of the second round Big Ten tournament game.

Rachel Banham leads all scores with 10 points to go along with a game-high six rebounds. Brianna Mastey and Kiara Buford have chipped in eight and seven points, respectively. The Golden Gophers are 15-16, 6--10 in Big Ten play and need to win the conference tournament to have any chance of making the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota destroyed nine-seeded Wisconsin, 81-49, in the opening round of the tournament.

Penn State, 13-3 in Big Ten play, is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. They are led by All-Big Ten guard Maggie Lucas (nine points) and Zhaque Gray (nine points).

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about women's basketball in general at SB Nation's Swish Appeal.

Big Ten Tournament: Big Ten Network To Televise Minnesota Vs. Penn State Women's Basketball Game

The 2012 Big Ten Tournament started off solidly for the Minnesota Golden Gophers as the women picked up a big victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday night to advance out of the first round. The road gets much more difficult on Friday, however, as the Gophers are scheduled to face the Penn State Nittany Lions in a game the Big Ten Network will be televising live at 5 p.m.

The Gophers were swept in the season series by the top-seeded Nittany Lions, but there is a bit of hope for the underdogs in Friday night's game. In their first meeting of the season, Minnesota jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half before narrowly dropping a three-point decision before all was said and done.

It's likely that senior Kiara Buford and Rachel Banham, the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year, will once again lead the Gophers against the Nittany Lions. Buford moved to seventh place on the Gophers' all-time scoring list with 19 points on Thursday while Banham added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Nittany Lions are led by a backcourt featuring sophomore guard Maggie Lucas and junior Alex Bentley. Both players were named first team All-Big Ten.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about women's basketball in general at SB Nation's Swish Appeal.

Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Results: Minnesota Advances With Win Over Wisconsin

The Minnesota Golden Gophers advanced through the first round of the women's Big Ten Tournament on Thursday evening, handily defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in a battle of the eight and nine seeds. Senior Kiara Buford scored 19 points as the Gophers rolled to an 81-49 victory in a postseason version of the Border Battle.

Buford had an efficient day from the field as she finished the game making eight of her 10 field goal attempts to finish with the game-high 19 points, but Big Ten Freshman Player of the Year Rachel Banham wasn't bad either. Banham scored 11 points and corralled 10 rebounds to offset her 4-of-15 shooting from the field.

The win was a milestone of sort for the Gophers as they defeated the Badgers for the first time in six attempts and picked up their fifth-ever victory in the Big Ten Tournament. Buford reached an individual milestone, too, as her 1,461 career points pushed her past Emily Fox for the No. 7 spot on Minnesota's all-time scoring register.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about women's basketball in general at SB Nation's Swish Appeal.

Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament: Minnesota Golden Gophers Vs. Wisconsin Badgers Play Thursday

The Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball team will play the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2012 Big Ten Tournament.

Women's Basketball: Rachel Banham Named Big Ten Freshman Of The Year

Rachel Banham led the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball team by averaging over 16 points per game this season. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a member of the Second Team All-Big Ten on Monday night.