Minnesota Tops Women's Basketball In 2024-25 Season Opener

The host University of Minnesota women's basketball team opened the game on a 10-0 run and never trailed in the contest, as the Golden Gophers topped the visiting Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, 89-48, on Monday night in the 2024-25 season opener for both teams.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score:   CCSU 48, Minnesota 89
Records: CCSU (0-1, 0-0 NEC), Minnesota (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Location: Williams Arena |Minneapolis, Minn.

KEY MOMENTS

• After Minnesota opened the game on a 10-0 run, CCSU's Alonna Sellers made a driving layup at the 5:02 mark of the opening quarter to get her team on the scoreboard.
• The visitors continued to trail by 10 points at 16-6 late into the opening stanza, but the Gophers closed the opening 10 minutes on an 8-0 run over the final 1:34 of the frame to lead 24-6 after the first quarter.
• CCSU turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter to only one miscue for Minnesota.
• Newcomer Lucia Noin knocked down Central's first three-pointer of the season 1:33 before halftime.
• CCSU battled the hosts in the second quarter, as Minnesota outscored the Blue Devils by only two points, 15-13, to take a 39-19 lead into the halftime break.
• Meghan Kenefick led Central in scoring in the first half with six points, and freshman Selina Monestime grabbed a team-high six rebounds in the opening two quarters.
• Amaya Williams opened the scoring in the second half by hitting a three-point shot 26 seconds into the third quarter.
• Minnesota was red-hot from the floor in the third quarter, as the Golden Gophers extended their lead to 27 points, 65-38, after three quarters.  In the third stanza, the hosts hit 10-of-17 field goal attempts (58.8%), including going 6-of-10 (60.0%) from behind the three-point arc.
• The hot-shooting continued in the final quarter for the Golden Gophers, as they hit 8-of-14 field goals (57.1) and were a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line to post a 24-10 advantage in the fourth frame of action to make the final score, 89-48.

NUMBER TO KNOW

1–Monday night was the first meeting in history between the women's basketball programs of CSSU and the University of Minnesota.

NOTES

• Freshman Dagny Slomack led the Blue Devils in scoring in Monday's season opener with 11 points, as she hit a team-leading three, 3-point shots.  She also had a team-best three assists.
• Slomack was joined in double-digit scoring by Alonna Sellers who finished with 10 points.  Sellers led all rebounders on the night with eight.
• Selina Monestime was next on the Blue Devils' rebounding list with seven boards on the evening.
• 11 different players saw action for CCSU on Monday night with eight players seeing at least 14 minutes of playing time.  Eight players scored points for the visitors on Monday.
• Amaya Williams led the Blue Devils with three steals against the Golden Gophers
• Annika Stewart led three Minnesota players in double figures 18 points, as she hit 7-of-10 field goals, including going 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
• Amaya Battle led the Gophers with seven rebounds.
• Minnesota turned 26 CCSU turnovers into 41 points on Monday night
• The Blue Devils canned seven three-point shots in the season opener; while the Gophers hit 10 shots from downtown.

UP NEXT

• The Blue Devils open their 2024-25 home schedule on Thursday night, November 7 when Manhattan College comes to Detrick Gymnasium.  Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.

Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.