CHAMPAIGN — Sophie Hart scored 17 points, Amaya Battle added 10 of her 16 points in the second half and No. 22 Minnesota beat Illinois 78-73 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams to clinch a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
Minnesota (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten), which lost 75-61 to No. 18 Michigan State last time out, has won 10 of 11 and will be the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Gophers tied the program’s single-season record for conference wins, previously set in the 1982-83 and 1984-85 seasons.
Berry Wallace hit a 3-pointer before Cearah Parchment drew a charge and then scored in the post to make it 70-all with 1:01 left in the game, but Grace Grocholski, Mara Braun and Tori McKinney combined to go 8 of 8 from the free-throw line from there to seal the victory.
Braun had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Finau Tonga also scored 11 points and McKinney added 10.
Wallace led Illinois (19-10, 9-9) with 15 points while Maddie Webber and Aaliyah Guyton each scored 14. Parchment and Destiny Jackson added 13 points apiece.
Hart scored six points in a 14-3 first-quarter run that made it 16-9 with 3:24 left in the period and Minnesota never again trailed.
The Gophers used an 11-3 spurt in the second quarter to push the lead to 15 points before Illinois scored eight consecutive points to close the first half, which made it 36-29 at the intermission.
Up next
Minnesota: Plays Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Illinois: Plays Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
