Minnesota native Coffey helps Northwestern women top Gophers 84-74
INDIANAPOLIS -- Nia Coffey had 25 points and 12 rebounds and 12th-seeded Northwestern turned back five-seed Minnesota 84-74 on Thursday in a second-round game of the Big 10 tournament.
The Wildcats (17-15), who lost to the Gophers (19-11) 112-106 in double overtime on Super Bowl Sunday when Rachel Banham set a conference record with 60 points, face fourth-seeded Indiana in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Banham had 26 in this one on 7-for-25 shooting. Carlie Wagner added 18 for the Golden Gophers.
Christen Inman had 18 points and Jordan Hankins added 14, including six straight free throws in the last minute, for Northwestern, which made 13 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter. Ashley Deary had 12 points and 10 rebounds and was an assist short of a triple-double. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah had 14 rebounds with her eight points.
Minnesota was within one early in the fourth quarter but Coffey scored nine straight points for the Wildcats to push the lead up to nine.
