Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball top No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball, end decade of frustration at the Barn

MINNEAPOLIS, MN

On a February night inside Williams Arena, where the raised floor and low ceiling compress sound into something almost physical, the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team delivered a performance that felt both immediate and historic.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, No. 23 Minnesota defeated No. 10 Ohio State 74–61, extending its winning streak to nine games and ending a drought that had lingered for nearly a decade. The victory was Minnesota’s first over the Buckeyes since 2016, snapping a 14-game losing streak in the series and reshaping the Big Ten standings in the process.

For a program that has often flirted with national relevance in recent years, this was not a flirtation. It was a declaration.

Surviving the misses, trusting the defense

The box score will remember the final margin. The crowd will remember the third quarter. But the game’s character was forged in the first half, when Minnesota could not buy a basket.

The Gophers missed 29 shots before halftime, including stretches of 10 and 14 consecutive misses. Yet at the break, they trailed only 29–26.

The reason was defense. Minnesota contested without fouling, forced difficult angles, and stayed attached to shooters. Ohio State, a perennial Big Ten power, shot just 39.3 percent for the game and managed only 16 points in the paint. Minnesota won the rebounding battle decisively, 47–32, and limited second chances on the other end.

What might have become a double-digit deficit remained a one-possession game.

The third-quarter avalanche

Then came the turn.

Minnesota opened the second half with force, unleashing an 18–4 run that shifted the tone from tension to control. Defensive stops became transition opportunities. Rebounds became outlet passes. The Barn, quiet but restless earlier, began to swell.

By the end of the third quarter, Minnesota had built a cushion it would not surrender.

The Gophers finished with a 32–16 edge in points in the paint and outrebounded Ohio State by 15. They committed just nine turnovers, protecting possessions in a game that demanded composure.

Sophie Hart anchors the interior

Graduate center Sophie Hart steadied Minnesota when the perimeter shots refused to fall. She finished with a season-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards that translated into crucial second-chance points.

Hart’s presence was not flashy. It was foundational. She carved space, sealed defenders, and punished switches. When Minnesota’s offense wobbled, she provided structure.

Amaya Battle climbs into history

Senior guard Amaya Battle delivered one of the most complete performances of her career: 13 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.

With her first assist of the night, Battle surpassed Minnesota legend Lindsay Whalen for second place on the program’s all-time assists list, moving past Whalen’s 578 career assists. Battle now trails only Debbie Hunter atop the Gophers’ leaderboard.

The moment was understated, almost easy to miss in the flow of play. But it was emblematic of what Battle has become for this team: a connector of eras and a stabilizing force in pressure moments.

Mara Braun’s second-half surge

If Hart anchored the interior and Battle orchestrated the flow, Mara Braun provided the ignition.

After a quiet first half, Braun erupted for 13 of her 18 points after the break, stretching Ohio State’s defense and widening driving lanes. Her scoring burst helped transform a tight contest into a measured closing stretch.

A standings shift with tournament implications

With the win, Minnesota improved to 21–6 overall and 12–4 in Big Ten play. Ohio State fell to 22–5 and 11–4 in conference.

The result pushed Minnesota into fourth place in the league standings, a critical threshold that positions the Gophers for a potential double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. In a conference defined by depth and physicality, rest is currency.

But beyond brackets and seeds, the victory carried symbolic weight.

For years, Ohio State had been a barrier Minnesota could not clear. On Wednesday night, that barrier gave way.

Inside Williams Arena, amid a nine-game surge and rising national attention, Minnesota did more than defeat a top-10 opponent. It demonstrated balance, resilience, and the kind of collective resolve that transforms a streak into something sturdier.

Momentum is fragile in February. Belief is not.

On this night, Minnesota left the floor with both.

MinneapoliMedia