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.