Gophers Eliminated From Big Ten Tournament After Quarterfinals Loss to Ohio State

Minnesota had one of its messiest games of the season on Friday afternoon.

Feb 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Dawn Plitzuweit on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Gophers opened their Big Ten Tournament run in Friday's quarterfinals for the first time since 2018, but their run is over after just one game, following a 60-55 loss to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes already had one game at the Big Ten Tournament under their belt, but it was Minnesota who came out with the most energy. Sophie Hart had a first-half double-double with more than six minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Sophie starts the scoring! 🔥

📺: BTN pic.twitter.com/4uAv4GXq3n

— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) March 6, 2026

Star Gophers forward Tori McKinney looked shaken up, and she went to the locker room late in the first quarter, after she picked up her second foul. She returned to the bench and eventually returned to the game in the second half. The Big Ten's leading scorer, Jaloni Cambridge, began to heat up with Minnesota's best perimeter defender on the bench. She had 13 first-half points, and Ohio State carried a 32-28 lead into the locker room.

McKinney continued to deal with foul trouble in the second half, and the Gophers struggled with Ohio State's pressure. They averaged the third-fewest turnovers per game at just 10.6 before Friday. The Buckeyes forced 21 turnovers from the Gophers, and it was too much to overcome.

Hart finished with a career-high 19 rebounds to go along with 12 points, but Minnesota didn't get its usual production on the perimeter. McKinney played just 16 minutes, and she had only two points. Mara Braun didn't score her first field goal until there was 1:16 left in the third quarter, and she finished with just six points on 2 of 10 shooting from the field.

Grace Grocholski had a game-high 18 points, and she had a three-point attempt late in the fourth quarter to tie the game, but it was too little too late. Minnesota fell just short, 60-55.

The Gophers' resume for the NCAA Tournament is now finalized. They will enter the selection process with a 22-8 overall record. They were a projected four-seed in the latest outlook from the NCAA Selection Committee, which means they would host the first two rounds. They will have to wait nine days before seeing their fate on Selection Sunday, which is Sunday, March 15.