Friday at the Big Easy Classic in New Orleans, the Gophers women’s basketball team played Houston, a member of a power conference, in this case the Big 12. The Cougars aren’t expected to contend for their conference title, but they are an athletic team. Long, fast, with a pressure defense.

This is why Gophers women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit schedules nonconference games like this.

“They speed you up, they make you uncomfortable on the offensive end,” Plitzuweit said. “That’s what we need to see.”

OK. So did Plitzuweit like what she saw in a 61-44 victory that kept the Gophers (8-0) unbeaten?

There was a lot to like in a defense that held the Cougars (2-5) to 25.9% shooting, to 44 points total and to 29 points over the first three quarters. There was a lot to love in Mallory Heyer’s continued improvement guarding on the perimeter, with Grace Grocholski’s ability to defend bigger players inside, with center Sophie Hart’s willingness to guard on the perimeter against a five-out attack.

There were times when the Gophers defense was wonderful. Like during a 10-0 start to the second quarter that turned a three-point lead into 13. Or an 11-0 start to the third quarter that made a 13-point game a relative blowout.