Gohpers 92, UCLA Bruins 81.
Lindsay Whalen scored 31 points in her first game since hurting herself in a loss seven games ago. She played magnificently, leading the Gophers final run with about two minutes on the clock.
Again, Williams arena is a great venue. It was packed today, and instead of sitting up above we got seats just behind the basket and just under the balcony. It was great. The crowd was pumped to see Whalen at work again, and didn’t sit down for the last three minutes of the game.
As good as it would be for the Vikings and Twins to get new stadiums, I don’t think that any of them will be able to beat The Barn. They might be neat, but the Barn is just so nostalgic, I like it more each time I go there.
The game was played almost flawlessly. The Gophers earned an eleven point lead early in the second half, but it was quickly nullified by an 18-5 Bruins run. The game was neck and neck in the final minutes, but after Janel Mcarville pulled a rebound down and was fouled, the UCLA coach blew and got a technical.
The three free throws that Whalen and Mcarville made gave the gophers a six point lead which UCLA just couldn’t beat.
The Gophers are going to be a team to be reckoned with, and with Whalen back and a very inspiring first round win under their belts I think they are a team with incredible momentum and talent. Their abilities were showcased in one of the other games I went to this year, their 18 point win over Penn State.
Penn State looks to be the team to beat in this years tournament, and I just think that the Gophers can do it.