The Minnesota women’s basketball team could not complete its comeback attempt at Indiana, falling 93-79.

Rachel Banham scored 29 points in the loss, while Shayne Mullaney had 17 and Carlie Wagner 15, according to a press release.

The Golden Gophers (18-8, 10-5 Big Ten) trailed by 11 to start the fourth quarter before getting back within five points. After the Hoosiers (18-9, 10-5 Big Ten) built the lead back to double digits, the Gophers would trim it to six, but again fall farther behind in the final two minutes.

The loss snapped a four-game Gophers win streak, but they have still won eight of their last 10 games. Banham has scored 158 points in her past four games.

In Thursday’s game, the three-point shot was not a major factor for either team. Minnesota shot 3-13 from beyond the arc, while the home team was 3-19. Indiana held a 42-36 advantage on the glass. The Hoosiers shot 28-of-42 from the free throw line, making more than the Gophers’ 27 attempts, of which they made 18. Tyra Buss led the Hoosiers with 27 points.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Gophers compiled a 9-0 run during the last 2:13 of the quarter to take a 17-15 lead. The run included three-point plays from Mullaney and Joanna Hedstrom. Wagner had five rebounds in the period.

The lead fluctuated early in the second, but Indiana pulled ahead 43-36 with a 28-point quarter. Mullaney scored eight of her 11 first-half points in the second quarter. The Hoosiers shot 14 free throws in the second, but was only 8-of-16 from the line for the half, making just three more than the Gophers (5-7). Each team grabbed 22 rebounds in the first half.

Indiana led 59-45 with 3:56 to go, its largest lead of the game. The Gophers did not cut it closer than eight the rest of the quarter, and the Hoosiers led 68-57 going into the final stanza. Indiana shot 11-13 at the line in the third, and Minnesota was 8-12.

The Gophers began to claw back into the game. They trailed by just five, 74-69, after a Banham three-point play and a Hedstrom fastbreak layup. The Hoosiers would lead 81-73 at the media break at 3:48. Wagner free throws made it 85-79 with 2:01 to go, but Jenn Anderson scored coming out of the ensuing timeout, and a Buss three-point play made it 90-79.

 

MORE NOTES

Banham moved into 15th on the NCAA’s all-time career scoring list. She has 2,869 points. Banham passed Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Alysha Clark (Belmont/Middle Tennessee), Heather Butler (UT Martin) and Kevi Luper (Oral Roberts) during the Indiana game. She is now 50 points behind the Big Ten’s all-time leader, Kelly Mazzante of Penn State. The NCAA record is held by Jackie Stiles at 3,393.

The Gophers’ all-time leading scorer has notched 14 straight games scoring 20 or more points.

Mullaney has scored in double figures in 12 of 15 Big Ten games. Overall this season, she has four games with 15-plus points.

Indiana improved to 13-0 on its home floor in Assembly Hall.

 

UP NEXT

The Gophers will play another road game at noon Sunday at Michigan State, televised on Big Ten Network. They will return home for their home finale against Ohio State at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The game will include recognition for seniors Banham, Mikayla Bailey and Mullaney.