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Gophers women's basketball dancing to Sweet 16
This week on the FOX 9 Gopher Coaches Show, we're talking with the University of Minnesota women's basketball team as they're on a historic run. For the first time in 21 years, Dawn Plitzuweit and the Gophers are headed to the NCAA Sweet 16. Minnesota faces UCLA in Sacramento Friday night. FOX 9's Ahmad Hicks and KFAN's Justin Gaard chat with Coach Plitzuweit to talk about the win over Ole Miss. Amaya Battle and Mara Braun join to talk about the season, and Battle's huge shot to lift the Gophers past Ole Miss.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Amaya Battle got the moment every kid growing up playing basketball in their driveway dreams of in Minnesota’s 65-63 win over Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.
Amaya Battle’s game-winner
The big play:
The Gophers had the ball with less than four seconds to play, and the game tied. Battle got a pass from Grace Grocholski, drove to the baseline and hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer. For the first time in 21 years, the Gophers’ women’s basketball team was headed to the Sweet 16. Williams Arena erupted.
In the huddle before the play, Battle said she didn’t know the ball would end up in her hands.
"I had no clue until G passes it. In the huddle before, I was like ‘Guys, somebody is going to hit a game-winner.’ I didn’t think it was going to be me," Battle said.
"Ultimately players make plays and big things happen. Amaya answered it with making a contested shot, she made her patented baseline pull-up shot, that was a pretty special moment," Gophers’ coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.
The celebration
The backstory:
The Gophers celebrated the shot in a mix of chaos and elation, mainly because the game wasn’t yet over. Minnesota had a 65-63 lead, but the ball went in with 0.8 seconds left. Ole Miss called a timeout to advance the basketball, and had one shot left. They got a fairly clean look for a game-winning 3-pointer, but it fell short.
Battle’s Gopher’s teammates celebrated on the floor after her shot, quickly to be reminded by assistant coach Tyler VanWinkle that the game wasn’t over.
"I was laughing with Ty and Nia (Holloway) the other day. Ty is pulling people off, Tori is pulling people off, Tori shoves Nia back on the bench and Ty is like ‘We still have to play defense.’ I don’t really know what’s going on. We ended up having to play defense and we did," Battle said.
Staying home
Why you should care:
Battle and star guard Mara Braun joined this week’s Gopher Coaches Show and talked about what it meant to get that win on their home court. Battle was a high school standout at Hopkins, Braun at Wayzata. She had 17 points, including a clutch 3-pointer that tied the game late. All with former coach Lindsay Whalen in the house.
"She’s the reason we’re here. We wouldn’t have committed if it wasn’t for her and her vision for us. We wanted to do what she’s done, she’s put banners in The Barn and we wanted to do the same thing," Braun said. She’s been with us the whole way. She’s the best, we love her."
What's next:
The Gophers face UCLA, one of the top teams in the country, at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Sacramento. The winner advances to the Elite 8. Earlier this season, Minnesota lost to the Bruins 76-58.