Tori McKinney Shines as Minnesota Claims WBIT Championship with 75-63 Victory

In an electrifying showdown, freshman Tori McKinney lit up the court with a season-high 26 points, propelling Minnesota to a 75-63 victory over Belmont in the WBIT championship held at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. Mallory Heyer also made a significant impact, contributing 18 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, solidifying Minnesota's dominance.

This win marks Minnesota's second consecutive appearance in a national postseason tournament championship, following their loss to Saint Louis in last year's WNIT finale. Meanwhile, Belmont was vying for their first national postseason championship in the program's 57-year history.

The game kicked off with Minnesota establishing an early lead, going on an impressive 11-2 run while limiting Belmont to a mere 1-of-9 shooting in the first eight minutes. By the end of the first quarter, the Bruins struggled, making only 3 of 13 shots and committing six turnovers.

McKinney was on fire, hitting 10 of her first 11 shots and reaching her 26-point milestone with 5:44 left in the third quarter, giving Minnesota a commanding 50-26 lead. At that point, Belmont was struggling at 10 of 35 shooting.

As the fourth quarter began, Minnesota extended their lead to 63-41 with a three-pointer from Grace Grocholski. However, Belmont fought back, with Kendal Cheesman sinking a three-pointer to narrow the gap to 67-58, marking their first single-digit deficit since the early stages of the game.

Heyer sealed the deal for Minnesota with a contested layup, pushing the lead back to 13 points with just under two minutes remaining. In addition to McKinney's stellar performance, Battle contributed 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for Minnesota. For Belmont, Jailyn Banks led the scoring with 17 points, while Sanaa Tripp added 13, and both Cheesman and Tuti Jones chipped in with 11 points each.