Gophers Beat Liberty to Open Subway Classic

MINNEAPOLIS - (Gophersports.com)The University of Minnesota (10-1) women's basketball team had five players score in double figures as it defeated Liberty (6-4), 74-60, Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena on the first day of the Subway Classic.

Amanda Zahui paced the Golden Gophers with 17 points and 13 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season, while Shae Kelley added 16 points and Mikayla Bailey, Shane Mullaney and Carlie Wagner contributed 11 points apiece.

The Gophers took an early nine-point lead, 13-4, thanks to six points from Kelley and five points from Wagner, but the Flames closed the gap to one point, 20-19, on a 15-7 run. Minnesota would put together a run of its own to extend its lead back to seven points with 6:35 to play in the first half. The Maroon and Gold would maintain at least a two-point lead through the remainder of the first stanza and headed into the locker room with a six-point advantage, 34-28.

Kelley led all scorers in the first half with 11 points, while Zahui and Wagner added eight and seven points, respectively. Zahui led the Gophers with eight rebounds, with Wagner and Kelley adding four apiece.

The Gopher shot .345 (10-29) through the first 20 minutes of play, while holding Liberty to just .300 (12-40) shooting from the floor, and out-rebounded the Flames, 30-20.

The Maroon and Gold came out of the half on a 12-0 run, which included six points from Bailey, to take its largest lead of the game, 46-28, just three minutes into the second half of play and would maintain a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the contest.

Minnesota closes out play in the Subway Classic against Central Michigan Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Williams Arena.