Gophers beat Belmont 75-63 to win WBIT Championship
Minnesota Golden Gophers players and coaches celebrate after winning the final game of the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament over the Belmont Bruins at Hinkle Fieldhouse on April 2, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. ((Photo by Doug McSchooler/NCAA Photos via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team is finishing Year 2 under Dawn Plitzuweit with a championship.
The Gophers beat Belmont 75-63 Wednesday night to win the WBIT title, women’s college basketball’s version of the NIT. It was Minnesota’s first WBIT appearance.
Gophers beat Belmont 75-63 to win WBIT Championship
The Gophers women's basketball team beat Belmont 75-63 Wednesday night behind a career-high 26 points from Tori McKinney to win their first WBIT Championship in Dawn Plitzuweit's second season.
How it happened
Why you should care:
The Gophers got out to an early 11-2 lead over the Bruins and got the wire-to-wire win. Minnesota led 37-23 at half and by as many as 24 points in the second half. Belmont got as close as eight points before the Gophers pulled away.
Tori McKinney led Minnesota with a career-high 26 points, shooting 10-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from the perimeter. Mallory Heyer had a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Amaya Battle had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Gophers shot 9-of-23 from the perimeter as a team, while holding Belmont to 33.3 percent from the field overall.
Bright future for Gophers
What's next:
Minnesota’s season ends with a 25-11 overall record. The Gophers finished on a five-game win streak. They’ll get Mara Braun back from a season-ending foot injury, and Taylor Woodson back from a knee injury.