Just a few days after a heartbreaking 76-75 loss to Maryland, No. 10 Ohio State is back in action against another ranked foe on Wednesday (8:00 p.m. Big Ten-Plus).
No. 23 Minnesota (20-6, 11-4 Big Ten) has won its last eight games, including a 91-85 road win over then- No. 10 Iowa on Feb. 5.
The Golden Gophers’ winning streak has them currently sitting in fifth place. With a win, Minnesota would jump Ohio State in the Big Ten standings and would be in no worse than fourth place in the conference.
Heading into the game, Minnesota ranks No. 9 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, meaning it is one of the most efficient teams in the country.
The Golden Gophers are one of the more balanced teams in the country. They have five players averaging at least 10 points per game.
Senior guard Amaya Battle may be the team’s most important player, though. Battle may only be Minnesota’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 10.6 points per game, but she also leads her team with 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
The Buckeyes and Golden Gophers aren’t exactly arch-rivals. Ohio State has won the last 14 matchups between the two teams, but last year’s game was an instant classic. The Buckeyes blew a 14-point 4th quarter lead against Minnesota, before recovering to win 87-84 in overtime.
Battle was a huge factor in that game. She scored 17 points while shooting 7-15 from the field, but the Golden Gophers were led by their center, Sophie Hart.
In 30 minutes of playing time, Hart scored 21 points on 10/15 shooting, while grabbing four rebounds. The 6-5 center is back this year for Minnesota and has had a very solid year, averaging 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.
The Buckeyes, which had plenty of struggles rebounding in their loss to Maryland, will need to do a solid job against Hart to pick up the win.
As a team, Minnesota is one of the better rebounding teams in the Big Ten. Outrebounding their opponents by an average margin of 7.2. Minnesota ranks No. 37 nationally in rebounding margin.
In addition to having success on the glass, Minnesota’s defense has been a strength of the team. Minnesota has allowed an average of 56.4 points per game this season, which is the 21st-best mark in the country.
