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Freshman Tori McKinney scored a season-high 26 points, Mallory Heyer had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Minnesota beat Belmont 75-63 on Wednesday night to secure the WBIT championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Minnesota (25-11) appeared in a national postseason tournament championship game for the second straight season after losing to Saint Louis in the WNIT finale last year.

Belmont (26-13) was playing for a national postseason championship for the first time in the program’s 57-year history.

Minnesota started the game on an 11-2 run after holding Belmont to 1-of-9 shooting through the opening eight minutes. The Bruins finished the quarter making just 3 of 13 shots with six turnovers.

McKinney made 10 of her first 11 shots and reached 26 points with 5:44 remaining in the third to give Minnesota a 50-26 lead. Belmont was 10 of 35 at that point.

Minnesota went ahead 63-41 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Grace Grocholski. But Belmont came back and Kendal Cheesman sank a 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining to get within single digits, 67-58, for the first time since it was 16-8 in the opening frame.

Heyer gave Minnesota a 13-point cushion with 1:56 left on a contested layup with the shot clock winding down.

Battle finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Minnesota.

Jailyn Banks led Belmont with 17 points and Sanaa Tripp added 13. Cheesman and Tuti Jones each scored 11.

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The Associated Press

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Freshman Tori McKinney scored a season-high 26 points, Mallory Heyer had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Minnesota beat Belmont 75-63 to secure the WBIT championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse. 

Tori McKinney scores a season-high 26 points, Minnesota beats Belmont 75-63 to win WBIT championship

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