Cotton leads Gophers to easy exhibition win

Leah Cotton scored 16 points off the bench, including 10 free throws, leading the Gophers to a 90-58 exhibition win over Minnesota-Crookston on Sunday.
Though she didn’t start, Cotton played a team-high 33 minutes, and her 16 points would’ve been a career-high had it not been an exhibition. The sophomore will compete with fellow guards Kiara Buford, China Antoine and Sari Noga for playing time this season, and all played significant minutes Sunday.
“I think [Leah’s] learning to be a lot more disciplined at that position and make better decisions,” head coach Pam Borton said. “I thought this was one of the best games I’ve seen her play, just with her being able to finish, and her leadership out there, and her decision-making.”
Brianna Mastey added 14 points and forward Katie Loberg added 10 in the win over the Division II Golden Eagles. The team physically overmatched the Golden Eagles, and six different players had five or more rebounds.
The Gophers finished their exhibition schedule that also included breezing past fellow DII opponent Southwest Minnesota State on Monday and will begin their regular season this weekend at the Best Buy Classic, which features Northern Illinois, Green Bay and George Washington. Free ticket vouchers are available at local Best Buy stores.