The University of Minnesota (4-3) women’s basketball team suffered its first home loss of the year, falling 75-61 to No. 8 Florida State (7-1) on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Golden Gophers held the Seminoles to 19 points in the second half, but could not overcome an 18-point halftime deficit.

Kenisha Bell scored 17 points and tallied five assists to lead the Gophers, scoring seven of her points from the free throw line. Carlie Wagner added 15. Jessie Edwards had 11 rebounds, but Florida State tallied 51 rebounds compared to Minnesota’s 32.

The Gophers notched 10 steals in the game, including four by Gadiva Hubbard. They held Florida State to 21.1 percent from the field in the second half after the Seminoles’ torrid 67.7 in the first half. FSU’s two points in the fourth quarter were the fewest allowed by the Gophers since the switch to quarters from halves last season. Minnesota, which at one point trailed by 23, was not able to get closer than 14 after that.

Overall, the Gophers shot 33.9 percent and the Seminoles shot 42 percent. Florida State also had an advantage with 34 points in the paint to Minnesota’s 24. Nicole Ekhomu led four Seminoles in double figures with 16 points, and Ivey Slaughter had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

How it happened

Bell led the Gophers with eight points in the first quarter, driving to the basket and scoring. Florida State got the bulk of its scoring inside, and from three Imani Wright 3-pointers. The Seminoles led 30-17 after the first period.

After a slow start, Minnesota started heating up from long distance. The Gophers hit four 3-pointers in about 2 1/2 minutes in the middle of the quarter, starting with a Tinjum pick-and-pop triple at the top of the key. Florida State led by as much as 23 in the quarter, and was up 56-38 at the half on 77.8-percent shooting.

Minnesota did not close the gap in the third, but played the Seminoles more evenly. Florida State outscored the Gophers by only two in the quarter for a 73-53 lead entering the fourth.

The Gophers outscored the Seminoles 8-2 in the final period.

More notes

• Wagner passed current New York Liberty center Amanda Zahui B. for 16th place on Minnesota’s career scoring list. Wagner has 1,146 career points.

• Wagner also moved up on the career 3-point list, passing Mikayla Bailey for sixth place. Wagner has 146 triples.

• Wednesday’s game was the third time this season that Minnesota had at least 10 steals as a team.

Coming up next

The Gophers will stay home to host Detroit Mercy at 2 p.m. Saturday. Palma Kaposi will be the featured player for postgame autographs.