Tori McKinney scored a career-high 26 points, and Mallory Heyer added her second double-double in as many games as Minnesota beat Belmont, 75-63, to win the second Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday in Indianapolis. For a team that was disappointed not to make the NCAA tournament, it was the next best thing. The Gophers (25-11) haven’t made the Big Dance in either of Dawn Plitzuweit’s two seasons as coach, but they’re now 9-1 in postseason games after advancing to the WNIT title game last season. Winning it all this time, McKinney said, “is a big step. This place is just such a genuine place to be, and you could see it out on the court. It’s just the next stepping stone to make it further next year.” The Gophers finished the season with five straight tournament victories to be the last team standing in the 32-team WBIT. Despite playing without leading scorer Mara Braun (foot) and Michigan transfer Taylor Woodson (knee) for most of the season, Minnesota hoisted the program’s second postseason trophy, and first since the 2012 team won the 16-team Women’s Basketball Invitational under Pam Borton. Minnesota’s Amaya Battle pulls up for a jumper in the first half of the Gophers’ WBIT championship game against Belmont on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger / Gophers Athletics) Those players, and most of the key players from this year’s team, will return in the fall. “We’re going to carry this and keep moving forward,” said Heyer, a junior forward who finished with 18 points and 16 boards after getting 13 points and 15 rebounds in Monday’s semifinal victory over Florida. McKinney, a freshman guard from Minnetonka, was the hot hand early, scoring 19 first-half points as the Gophers took a 37-23 lead into intermission. Amaya Battle added 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Minnesota. Jailyn Banks scored 17 points for the Bruins. Heyer’s layup with 1:56 left in regulation helped the Gophers hold off a late run by Belmont (26-13), giving the Gophers a 71-58 lead. The Bruins trailed by as many as 24 but made it interesting late when McKinney was on the bench with four fouls. They finished the third quarter with a 5-0 run, then used a 12 run to pull within 63-53 on a layup by Jailyn Banks with 5:20 remaining. After trading baskets, Belmont cut its deficit to single digits, 67-58, on a 3-pointer by Kendal Cheesman with 3:17 remaining in regulation. Banks hit a jumper to pull the Bruins to within 71-63. In the end, however, Minnesota made just enough free throws to put the game away, 5 for 8 in the final 1:20. Illinois was the WBIT’s first champion last season and earned an NCAA tournament bid this spring. “This is incredible. It’s incredible for our young ladies,” Plitzuweit said. “But our goal is to be in the Big Dance, and hopefully this gives us a way to catapult and continue to keep growing. Do we want to get healthy? Of course, but it’s a way for us to gain momentum.” The Gophers blitzed the Bruins early, opening a 14-3 lead on a 3-pointer by Heyer with 2:10 left in the first quarter. That lead ballooned to 16 a couple of times before intermission, the last on another 3-pointer by Heyer. Minnesota’s chances to put this one entirely away were undone by turnovers late in the second quarter. Before that, the Gophers were outsourcing Belmont off turnovers 14-0. But Minnesota coughed the ball up five times in the last 4 minutes of the first half, and the Bruins scored five points off of them. Still, a 37-23 lead was auspicious as the Gophers started the second half, especially considering leading scorer Grace Grocholski didn’t have a point, 0 for 2 from the field, although she did have four assists and a steal. The Gophers, in fact, recorded 13 assists on 15 baskets before intermission. In the end, Grocholski played all 40 minutes and finished with six points, three rebounds and eight assists against one turnover. Minnesota turned up the heat early in the third quarter, however, holding the Bruins to one field goal in the first 4:20 — a 3-pointer by Kendal Cheesman — to take a 50-26 lead on McKinney’s layup. “I’m just so proud of her,” Heyer said of McKinney. “She was everywhere tonight, hitting big shots, she was celebrating, she was into it. And also on the defensive end, she just does a great job for us — all season she has. I’m so proud of her to finish this way.” Minnesota freshman Tori McKinney celebrates a 3-pointer in the first half of the Gophers’ WBIT championship game against Belmont on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger / Gophers Athletics) Related Articles WBIT: Gophers take on Belmont for tournament title WBIT: Gophers roll past Florida, into another postseason championship game WBIT semifinals: Gophers vs. Florida WBIT: Gophers rally and beat Gonzaga in overtime to reach semifinals Women’s basketball: Gophers hold off late Missouri State run to win second WBIT game ...read more read less