INDIANAPOLIS — The Minnesota Golden Gophers claimed the WBIT championship on Wednesday night with a 75-63 victory over the Belmont Bruins at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Freshman Tori McKinney delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a season-high 26 points, while Mallory Heyer bolstered the team with 18 points and an impressive 16 rebounds. This win marked a return for Minnesota (25-11) to a national postseason tournament championship game after they faced a defeat against Saint Louis in last year’s WNIT finale.
For Belmont (26-13), the game was historic as it represented the program’s first appearance in a national postseason championship in its 57-year history. The game began favorably for Minnesota, who launched an 11-2 run by locking Belmont to just 1-of-9 shooting through the first eight minutes. By the end of the first quarter, Belmont had completed only 3 of 13 shot attempts and suffered six turnovers.
McKinney remained relentless, making 10 of her first 11 shots and achieving 26 points by 5:44 in the third quarter, granting Minnesota a dominating 50-26 lead. At this stage, Belmont had managed only 10 of 35 shots. Minnesota continued to press with a 3-pointer from Grace Grocholski early in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 63-41. Despite this, Belmont attempted a comeback as Kendal Cheesman sank a 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining, narrowing Minnesota’s lead to single digits at 67-58, a situation last seen in the opening minutes when the score stood at 16-8.
Heyer responded for Minnesota, extending the lead to 13 points with a well-contested layup as the shot clock wound down at 1:56 to end. Moreover, Battle contributed with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
On Belmont’s side, Jailyn Banks led with 17 points while Sanaa Tripp added 13. Cheesman and Tuti Jones also contributed, each scoring 11 points in the effort to reverse the outcome. However, Minnesota’s early dominance and strategic plays secured them the coveted title, marking a successful night for the Gophers.