Why 60 points in a game isn't the highlight of Rachel Banham's week
MINNEAPOLIS — Around the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team, senior guard Rachel Banham has long been known as "Kobe" for her clutch play and remarkable shot-making, like her idol Kobe Bryant.
So when Bryant himself tweeted a congratulatory message at her Tuesday, two days after Banham tied an NCAA record with 60 points in a double-overtime victory at Northwestern, the normally chill Banham freaked out.
“I was literally shaking,” Banham said before practice this week. “I felt like I was going to start crying. I was so happy. I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t even tweet back right away, because I didn’t want to say anything dumb and be embarrassing, so I let myself calm down.”
Then Banham ran through the Bierman Building, which houses Minnesota’s athletics offices, showing Bryant’s tweet to everyone she knew.
“Rachel said, `Coach, coach, I just got a tweet from Kobe and it changed my life. This is the best day of my life,’ “ said head coach Marlene Stollings, holding a staff meeting when Banham knocked. “I’m so glad she stopped by and shared it with us. That was a very classy thing of (Bryant) to do.”
Even more notable than her point title: Banham, Minnesota’s career scoring leader, did it almost 14 months after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. Banham’s knee buckled on a 2-on-1 fast-break drive at North Dakota on Dec. 10, 2014, and the memory of Banham screaming in pain and crying remains vivid to her teammates.
“I heard her scream,” said senior Mikayla Bailey, the other player out on the break. “A lot of us were crying. Just to see one of your best friends and one of the best players go down was hard.”
Awarded a medical redshirt by the NCAA, the 5-foot-9 Banham served as an unofficial assistant coach as the Gophers, led by WNBA draftees Amanda Zahui B. and Shae Kelley, reached their first NCAA Tournament since 2009. Banham returned this season for the chance to play in the tournament herself and improve her WNBA draft standing.
Once her knee healed, she and first-year strength and conditioning coach Ralph Petrella concentrated on building lower body strength. Banham lost 14 pounds by eliminating soda, junk food and most candy from her diet. She kept a food log and emailed photos of her meals to Petrella.
“It keeps me accountable,” she said. “I don’t want to send him a picture of a cheeseburger.”
Lighter and fitter, Banham feels the difference in her jumping and conditioning. Against Northwestern, Banham played 47 of a possible 50 minutes, yet scored 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter and 18 in the two overtimes. Banham hit 19 of 32 shots with eight 3-pointers, went 14-for-16 from the line, and added nine rebounds in Minnesota’s 112-106 victory.
“I was definitely tired, but I kept going,” Banham said. “Any other year, at that point I would have started to fold, started throwing up shots, missing short. You could tell I was really able to finish out a game, even in two overtimes, and still have that motor running.”
Her teammates couldn’t believe it. “It was literally the coolest thing ever,” said guard Carlie Wagner, who once scored 53 points in a Minnesota high school game. “I felt like I was in my own little world watching Rachel play. The rim was five feet around for her. You’re never going to see anything like that again.”
Minnesota (16-7, 8-4 in the Big Ten) still has work to do to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers rank 86th in Ratings Percentage Index and finish the regular season against three of USA TODAY’s top 15 teams — Michigan State and Maryland on the road, and Ohio State at home. With a healthy Banham, averaging 25.8 points (No. 3 nationally), Minnesota has a chance.
“I remember when I had surgery and I couldn’t even walk,” Banham said. “You have those thoughts in your mind that you’re never going to be able to be the player you were before, and your confidence kind of wavers here and there. But now that I’m kind of hitting my stride, I don’t really think about it anymore.”