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EASTERN ILLINOIS (1-0) at MINNESOTA (0-0)
Wednesday, Dec. 2 •  11 am 
Minneapolis, Minn.  •  Williams Arena

GAME NOTES: PDF
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
ESPN +: Watch
LIVE STATS: Watch
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 1-0
LAST MEETING: Dec. 2, 2000: EIU won 73-72


ROAD TRIPPING:
Women's basketball is back, following the home victory against the UIC Flames, to take on the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. This is the opening game of the season for the Golden Gophers, as they only have two non-conference games before they start Big Ten play. The Panthers are coming off a 82-71 victory that saw Abby Wahl dominating the glass, as she finished with 21 rebounds and was named OVC Player of the Week.

BOLLANT'S BACKYARD:
Eastern Illinois head coach and Minnesota native, Matt Bollant, returns to the land of 10,000 lakes to face the University of Minnesota. Bollant grew up in Winona, Minn. and graduated from Winona State in 1994. Coach Bollant has recruited some solid talent out of Minnesota as well, most notably with reigning OVC Freshman of the Year, Lariah Washington, who was raised about an hour away in St. Cloud, Minn. This game would be a huge win for the Panthers, as they have not defeated a Big Ten team since the last time they faced Minnesota two decades ago.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS:
This Minnesota team has plenty of talent on their squad. Three of their starters averaged over 10 points and were named to a 2020 honorable mention All-Big Ten team. The expectation is that the Golden Gophers will be starting three sophomores, a redshirt sophomore and a redshirt senior. The guard play under third-year coach Lindsay Whalen has been a problem for opponents with Jasmine Powell, Sara Scalia and Gadiva Hubbard all averaging double-digits. This will be a great opportunity to see what the Panthers can do defensively against prolific scoring guards. Coach Bollant could end up playing some of his freshman posts, as Minnesota has seven players that are at least 6 foot tall. 

PLAYER TO WATCH:
After Wahl's DI leading 21 rebound game, Panther fans will be looking for her to repeat another exciting day for Eastern Illinois. Wahl battled with UIC down low through the entire game, and the team will need her to continue to battle against the much taller Golden Gophers. Wahl will need to continue to make plays defensively and pull the Gophers out of the paint with her midrange game. The team overall will need to be ready to go against Minnesota, and as we've seen from her two years prior, Wahl will be a big part of the Panthers success in tomorrow's game.

UP NEXT:
The Panthers host the Compass Tournament at Lantz Arena this year. They face Northern Illinois Friday at 3 p.m., and will face Western Illinois on Sunday at 2 p.m.