University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
1-0,0-0Big Ten
North Dakota
0-1,0-0Summit League
Christian's 23 Points Leads Gophers to 91-47 Season-Opening Win
11/4/2025 9:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Freshman Makena Christian had 23 points against the Fighting Hawks
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Led by freshman Makena Christian's 23 points, the University of Minnesota women's basketball team (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks (1-0, 0-0 Summit League) 91-47 on Tuesday evening at Williams Arena in front of 3,384 fans.
The Golden Gophers kept the Hawks to 19.4 percent from deep in a 6-for-31 shooting performance.
Minnesota had four players score in double figures, led by Christian, who had 23 points. Sophie Hart added 16 points and seven rebounds and Finau Tonga chipped in as well with 14 points and seven rebounds from the bench.
Christian's 23 point performance is the most by any Minnesota player making her college debut since at least 1999 when Lindsay Lieser tallied 23 against Ball State on Nov. 20 at Maturi Pavillion.
Minnesota shared the ball well in Tuesday's game, racking up 18 assists on 35 made field goals. Individually, Amaya Battle dished out the most for the Gophers with seven assists and Grace Grocholski also chipped in with three assists of her own.
Minnesota's defense held North Dakota to only 19.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 21.2 percent from the field. The Fighting Hawks did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with eight offensive rebounds and managed four second chance points while Minnesota cleared 35 defensive rebounds.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-2, Minnesota went on a 9-0 run with 9:07 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Hart, to take an 11-3 lead. The Gophers then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 21-10 advantage. Minnesota capitalized on eight North Dakota turnovers in the period, turning them into 10 points on the other end of the floor.
Minnesota built that first quarter lead to 25-13 before going on a 12-0 run starting at the 8:26 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Christian, to increase its lead to 37-13. The Fighting Hawks cut into that lead, but the Gophers still enjoyed a 44-27 advantage heading into halftime. Minnesota saw non-starters score 12 of its 23 total points off the bench in the quarter.
Minnesota continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on an 8-0 run to expand its lead further to 52-29 with 7:34 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Gophers added 10 points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 71-38 edge. Minnesota played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 27 points in the paint.
Minnesota started tacking on points in the fourth almost immediately, going on a 10-0 run to grow the lead to 81-38 with 5:23 to go in the contest. The Gophers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 91-47 win. Minnesota took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Gophers held the Fighting Hawks to only 21.2 percent shooting from the field.
» Minnesota tallied 18 total assists in the game.
» Minnesota had a stellar day defensively, holding North Dakota to 19 percent from three point land on 31 attempts.
» The Minnesota bench came alive by scoring 53 points to its scoring output.
» Makena Christian and Finau Tonga came off the bench to score 23 and 14 points, respectively.
» The Gophers forced 21 North Dakota turnovers while committing only seven on the other end.
» Minnesota had a 58-36 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Minnesota defense forced 21 turnovers.
» Minnesota turned the ball over seven times while dishing out 18 assists.
» Minnesota cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 23 offensive boards in the game.
» Makena Christian led the Gophers with a game-high 23 points.
» Minnesota got a game-high 10 rebounds from Amaya Battle.
