Kenisha Bell scored a career-high 31 points with her third consecutive double-double on Sunday as Minnesota beat Boston College, 78-68. Freshman Destiny Pitts had her second double-double in a row as the maroon and gold moved to 4-0 for a program-record fourth straight season.

Bell shot 11-for-25 from the field, including a 4-for-8 mark from 3-point range. She was 5-for-5 from the free throw line and tallied 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Pitts had 14 points and a season-high 16 rebounds and is averaging a double-double.

Minnesota never trailed in the game and led the Eagles (2-2) by as much as 20 in the second half before Boston College chipped into the lead. The visiting team shot 42.6 percent to Minnesota’s 36.6, but the Gophers outrebounded the Eagles 54-30.

Gadiva Hubbard joined Bell and Pitts in double figures with 10 points, and Carlie Wagner had nine. Jessie Edwards had nine rebounds. Sydney Lowery led Boston College with 19 points.

How it happened

Bell scored the Gophers’ first seven points, including one sequence of a 3-pointer, steal, spin move and layup to put Minnesota up 7-2. She continued to carry the offense with 16 of 20 total first-half points, including two 3-pointers. The Eagles kept the game close and Minnesota had a 20-15 lead at the end of the first.

Minnesota held Boston College scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the second quarter. Hubbard and Taiye Bello started to get into the scoring mix as the Gophers expanded their lead, and Fernstrom made a pair of free throws for an 11-point lead following the Eagles’ first basket. Bell broke a brief field goal drought for the Gophers with her third triple of the night to make it 32-20 with 4:22 left in the half. Minnesota led 43-29 at the half, and Bell already had 23 points and rebounds.

Pitts opened the Gophers’ scoring in the second half with a three-point play. A Bell three-point play late in the quarter pushed Minnesota’s advantage a game-high 20 points at 60-40 before a few Boston College 3-pointers.

The Gophers did not let the Eagles get closer than 10 points. Pitts tacked on six points and four rebounds to her game totals during the final period.

Up next

The Gophers’ final November home game will be Wednesday, Nov. 22 against Xavier. The 8 p.m. contest will be televised on BTN. After facing the Musketeers, Minnesota will travel to the Lady Rebel Round-Up (Nov. 25-26) and to North Carolina for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Nov. 29).