Crosby-Ironton great Tori Oehrlein makes Gopher women's basketball debut

It's a double header of home openers Monday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis for the Gopher women's and men's basketball teams.

The ladies are up first against Harvard, hoping to hold onto the momentum from an unforgettable Sweet 16 run last season.

A lot of fans at "The Barn" for the women's game, including a big crowd that traveled to the Twin Cities from the Brainerd Lakes area, are in attendance to catch Tori Oehrlein make her Gopher debut.

Already a history maker. Oehrlein was the first Minnesotan to reach 5,000 career points in high school as a Crosby-Ironton Ranger.

As the No. 2 recruit in the state, she received dozens of D1 offers to play across the country, and chose to keep her talents here at home.

"I just wanted to stay in my home state and make the home state proud," Oehrlein said. "The confidence Coach P gave me, and honestly just like how she helps me on the court, like she's just a great coach and I just think like we work well together."

All her hard work culminates in her rookie debut at The Barn.

"I'm so excited, especially to wear like Minnesota across my chest for the first time from the home state," she said. "I'm just so excited. I can't wait. I feel like I've dreamed of this since I was little."

That little girl was built on grit and a different kind of toughness that got her where she is today. Oehrlein has lived her entire life so far at her family farm in Crosby, Minnesota. 

"'Farm tough' is definitely a thing," she said. "We've lived there my whole life. My parents actually bought it right away when they were 21. We've had horses, pigs, cows, sheep. So we even had geese at one point."

When she isn't shooting hoops, she's riding.

"I love it. I love animals, especially horses. Like, it just was so free, like getting on my horse. Like, I just felt free, nothing on my mind," Oehrlein said.

She found a way to prioritize multiple passions, aa balance that taught her to always show up as yourself and remember your roots. It's something she hopes inspires other young girls from rural areas.

"I can never forget where I'm from. I come from such an amazing community, small town, and I just feel like that's what made me who I am and the player I am," Oehrlein said.