Dawn Plitzuweit’s basketball team had so much on the line Sunday in Champaign, Ill., she didn’t want her Gophers thinking about it.

Her team had done a lot of good work to put itself in position to finish fourth in the Big Ten, secure a double-bye in the Big Ten Conference tournament and perhaps even host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament at Williams Arena. Discussing it before Sunday’s regular-season finale against Illinois wasn’t even necessary.

Minnesota point guard Amaya Battle (3) brings sets up a halfcourt set in the first half of the Gophers’ 78-73 victory at Illinois in the regular-season finale at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. (Keelen Barlow / Gophers Athletics)

“They already know,” Plitzuweit said, and emphasizing it, she added, “Just gets in your way. We just need to continue to put our nose to the grindstone.”

Ultimately, that’s what the 22nd-ranked Gophers did, gutting out a 78-73 victory at State Farm Center to finish the season 22-7 overall, 13-5 in the Big Ten, the Gophers’ best conference finish since the 2004-05 team went 12-4 before advancing to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16.

“It’s crazy how good (the Big Ten) is. It has to be celebrated,” Plitzuweit said on the Learfield broadcast after Sunday’s game. “This group has done a very good job.”

The Gophers finished tied with No. 17 Ohio State for fourth place in the 18-team Big Ten Conference with a 13-5 record, and earned the conference tournament’s No. 4 seed — and the first- and second-round byes for this week’s conference tournament in Indianapolis — that go with it.

The Gophers won’t play until Friday, against the team that emerges from a second-round game between the Buckeyes and the winner or a first-round matchup between Illinois and Indiana.

Further, the Gophers are in the running to open the NCAA tournament at Williams Arena as the Nos. 1-4 seeds will be awarded two rounds at home. Minnesota already has put in a bid, and before the Gophers tipped off on Sunday, the NCAA tournament projected Minnesota as a Top 4 seed.

“It’s rewarding,” Gophers post Sophie Hart told Learfield after scoring a team-high 17 points and pulling down six rebounds against the Illini. “We tried not to focus too much on it because we didn’t want to play the game today with too much weight on our shoulders. But we worked hard and stayed together. It feels fun. It just feels good.”

Illinois erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to make it a tie game with 1 minute remaining, but the Gophers allowed only one more field goal — an Aaliyah Guyton 3-pointer as time expired — while going 8 for 8 from the line.

After committing a turnover, Mara Braun answered by hitting a 3-pointer to give Minnesota a 70-65 lead and stanch some bleeding with 2 minutes, 6 seconds remaining.

“That was a huge shot, a big-time shot that she made,” Plitzuweit said.

From there, the Gophers clamped down defensively, made their free throws and, as important, successfully inbounded the ball after a pair of timeouts.

That forced the Illini to foul, and Hart (two), Braun (two) and Tori McKinney made all eight of their free throws to seal the win.

Amaya Battle finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, and post Finau Tonga chipped with 11 points from the bench. Braun (11) and McKinney (10) also scored in double figures for the Gophers, who finished the conference season with 10 wins in their last 11 games.

Last season, the Gophers just missed out on an NCAA tournament bid before moving on to win the Women’s Basketball Tournament. Now they’re set to earn their first invitation to the Big Dance — by winning the conference tournament or with an at-large bid — and perhaps even host a pair of games.

“It’ll be fun,” said Hart, who played in the NCAA tournament at N.C. State before transferring to Minnesota. “Right now, our eyes are on the Big Ten tourney. The Big Ten is still March (basketball).

“It’s just fun. There’s a different vibe going on. Teams are hitting their stride, and we feel like we’re hitting our stride at the right time.”

Related Articles

Women’s basketball: Win streak dead, Gophers vow to focus on what’s next

Women’s basketball: Gophers jump to No. 22 in AP Top 25 poll

Gophers women’s basketball: Second-half surge leads Spartans past Minnesota

Gophers women’s basketball: Relaxed, having fun, and winning

Women’s basketball: Gophers find aim, run away from No. 10 Ohio State

LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 17 saves for her fourth shutout of the season and the Montreal Victoire beat the Minnesota Frost 4-0 on Sunday to take the PWHL lead.

Montreal moved a point ahead of Boston in the standings. The Victoire have won five straight and eight of nine to improve to 9-3-0-5.

Maureen Murphy had a goal and an assist, Maggie Flaherty, Dara Greig and Laura Stacey also scored and Hayley Scamurra added two assists.

Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin returned after missing a game because of a lower-body injury sustained in the Olympics. She assisted on Stacey’s goal.

Nicole Hensley made 29 saves for Minnesota. The Frost (7-2-3-4) were playing their first game since the Olympic break.

Minnesota was 0 for 4 on the power play, including 54 seconds of 5-on-3 in the third period.

The Frost return to Canada next weekend for a game at Toronto at noon on Sunday. The game will be televised on FDSN.

Related Articles

Olympic success has led to surge in PWHL ticket sales

Frost place leading scorer Kendall Coyne Schofield on long-term IR

Olympic hockey: They didn’t appreciate the joke, but U.S. women felt men’s respect

Canada enters women’s Olympic hockey quarterfinals beating Finland, rebounding from loss to US

Finally, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle are Olympic teammates

By JACK DURA

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — It’s still winter in Minnesota, but for the people lined up Sunday in single-digit cold at the Moorhead Dairy Queen, spring is in the air.

The annual March 1 opening of the 77-year-old walk-up ice cream shop is a tradition, no matter the weather. Heavy snow, subzero cold — people will brave a blizzard for a Blizzard.

“It just says that we’re tough, and there are things that are really important to us,” said Jerry Protextor, a retired pastor standing in line for a butterscotch milkshake and a chocolate-mint Blizzard. “It’s just a part of community.”

March is very much a winter month in the Upper Midwest, though the weather can vary wildly. The annual opening of the Dairy Queen “heritage store” brings the hope of spring and a familiar promise for people who need something to look forward to, especially with unrest in the world, owners Troy and Diane DeLeon said.

“It’s a sense of unity. It’s a tradition for many families,” Diane DeLeon said.

An average of 1,200 customers stop by on the opening day. Some show up early and wait in their cars. Being first in line brings yearlong bragging rights.

Julie Bergseid arrived before 7 a.m. to be first in line after two years in a row as second.

“Usually there’s a little bit of a line after a bit, so you gotta get here before they start,” she said. “It’s momentous that this is the start of spring, no matter what the temperature. This starts it, going to the DQ, getting your first ice cream of the season.”

Bundled up in snow pants, long underwear, wool socks and mittens, she planned to sit down at a patio table and enjoy her barbecue, peanut butter parfait and a Dilly frozen treat.

“It won’t melt. That’s the nice thing,” Bergseid said.

Customers have their pick from an array of treats found almost nowhere else. Among the favorites is the Mr. Malty, a chocolate malt frozen on a stick; a Curly Shake, a shake on the bottom and a sundae on top; a Monkey Tail, a frozen banana dipped in chocolate on a stick; and a variety of discontinued Blizzard flavors.

“It’s just that we have always had and made those special treats through the years. Even though they’ve been discontinued, we still have them because we have the ingredients and why not make it?” Troy DeLeon said. “If you still have the ingredients, ‘give the customer what they want’ is our feeling.”

The store is grandfathered to a point due to its age and focuses on customer service and having unique items, he said.

The butterscotch milkshake that Protextor sought for his wife can’t be found at any other DQ in the area, he said.

“We have to go to the right Dairy Queen to do what she wants,” he said.

Customers in coats, hats and gloves stood back near the street as others took their turn to go up to the windows to place their orders. No apps or kiosks for ordering here; just a knack for customer service, the DeLeons said.

People brought dogs and small children and took photos under a towering Dilly bar — a beloved chocolate-coated ice cream treat created in the 1950s at the Moorhead DQ. It seemed a bit like a summer day. Almost.

“This is beautiful today. I mean, it’s a little chilly, but the sun’s shining, it will get a little warmer,” Troy DeLeon said. “Typically it’s either snowing or probably closer to zero or below zero, so this is a beautiful day.”

Related Articles

After about 30 years, Minnesota’s last two D’Amico & Sons restaurants will both close next month

Sweeney’s Saloon offers free meal to legislators if DFLers and Republicans sit together

Steak Frites by Meritage pop-up to return in March

St. Paul: On Rice Street, Born’s Bar says goodbye — for now

St. Paul seeks to regulate — not eliminate — drive-throughs