The Minnesota Golden Gophers rolled past the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Williams Arena for their eighth straight win. Nate Mason led the Gophers with 25 points as Minnesota knocked off the Huskers, 88-73. Minnesota shot 56% from the floor and cruised to their 11th Big Ten win and 23rd overall victory of the season.
The Rundown
The Gophers started the game shooting 5-for-7 from the floor and Nate Mason had a breakaway layup off a steal to put Minnesota up by three points out of the first TV timeout. The game started sloppy with both teams committing a combined nine turnovers in the first nine minutes. A 7-0 Nebraska run cut into the Minnesota lead as guard Tai Webster hit a contested jumper to knot the game at 14. The Gophers and Huskers traded leads until the Gophers went on a 14-2 run, sparked by a Jordan Murphy dunk and a technical foul on the Nebraska bench. They led 40-27 at the half and overcame the slow start.
The Gophers started the second half 4-for-5 from the floor and led by as many as 20 points. Nate Mason had a three-pointer and a tough reverse layup. He finished with 25 points and continued to take care of the basketball as he facilitated the offense. Dupree McBrayer added a three-pointer and acrobatic finish, providing more value off the bench for Minnesota. He had 16 points and displayed continued confidence with his mid-range jumper. At one point, the Gophers made seven consecutive field goals in the second half. Minnesota never looked back, cruising to an 88-73 win over the Huskers.
Shot selection and maximizing possessions
The Gophers started this game very antsy on the offensive end. Akeem Springs tried an off balance three-pointer in transition, Eric Curry forced a jumper as the shot clock expired, and Nate Mason tried to drill a floater in traffic. Minnesota was dribbling the ball too much and wasn’t running their offensive sets. They have to move the ball better and let the offense run through their big-men. When they can do this, they get quality possessions. If the post players are dribbling all over, it leads to more turnovers. The Gophers had too many in the early stages of the game and it allowed Nebraska to hang around until the 14-2 run.
During the run, the Gophers managed to get good looks. They had 48 points in the paint and didn’t settle for three pointers. They executed their offensive sets better and played more relaxed. They also attacked off the dribble and executed what they do best. Minnesota shot 56% from the floor and had a streak of seven consecutive made field goals.
Isolating Murphy 1-on-1 was effective
Jordan Murphy has been such a big difference-maker for the Gophers over the last month. He finished with 20 points, notching his seventh straight game in double figures. Murphy was extremely effective when he was isolated 1-on-1 in the offense. He set the defender up with a move and used a drop step to finish at the rim. Murphy also had two strong attacks from the top of the key. He backed down the defender and finished strong with contact. The Gophers are a different team on offense when the action runs through Murphy and he can get a post touch. He either makes a move off the dribble or dishes behind the arch to an open shooter.
Reggie Lynch continued to be so valuable because he could stay on the floor. He had just three fouls and continued to protect the rim on the defensive end. Lynch played very efficient, notching 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 blocks in 28 minutes. He has found a groove over the last two games, and more importantly, is staying out of foul trouble.
Rebounding trouble, transition defense
The Gophers allowed too many offensive rebounds early in this game and it kept the Huskers within striking distance. At the 7-minute mark, the Huskers led the offensive rebounding margin 8-4. Reggie Lynch passed up the opportunity to block a shot and Ed Morrow Jr. finished at the rim with a layup. The Gophers had just two more rebounds than Nebraska at the half. This was uncharacteristic, but looked slightly better in the second half.
Not to mention, the Gophers had trouble with transition defense. Nebraska hit some timely shots and drove the lane when Minnesota had trouble getting back on defense. The Gophers got lost in transition and left shooters open as they were a step late to find the offensive player. Minnesota led by 13 points at the half and could have had a larger advantage if they had better transition defense and rebounding in the first 20 minutes.
Pass a cup of Coffey
Amir Coffey beautifully dropped a no-look pass to Bakary Konate, who slammed it down at the rim. Coffey had just 7 points, but continues to be such a valuable player because of the way he can put other players in a position to make shots.
There was fantastic passing throughout this game. Later in the half, Dupree McBrayer executed a spin move and found Eric Curry for an and-one at the rim. McBrayer also dropped a beautiful bounce pass to Jordan Murphy who slammed it down.
In the early stages of the second half, Eric Curry dished it off to Reggie Lynch, who delivered a slam at the rim. The Gophers are doing a great job of passing when they have sound ball movement and quality possessions. Every time Minnesota is in a half-court set, a post player should have at least one touch to help create ball movement.
What’s Next?
The Gophers will travel to Wisconsin for a matchup with the rival Badgers at Kohl Center Sunday. Tip is set for 5 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.