The Minnesota Golden Gophers cruised to an 81-71 win in front of a sell-out crowd at Williams Arena Saturday, extending their winning streak to seven games. Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy led the Gophers with 16 points each. Minnesota has notched 10 Big Ten wins for the first time since 2004-05. In addition, the last time they won seven Big Ten games in a row was 1978 (excluding 1997).
Not to mention, the Gophers had three impressive statistical performances in this game. Nate Mason was just two assists away from a triple-double, Jordan Murphy had 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Reggie Lynch blocked 11 shots. Lynch was just one block short of the Minnesota single-game blocks record held by Mychal Thompson (12 blocks- vs. Ohio State, 1/26/76). He is just the third Gopher ever to have double-digit blocked shots in a single game.
The Rundown
The Gophers started the game on an 8-0 run, fueled by a difficult no-look pass from Jordan Murphy to Akeem Springs. Minnesota had an early 11-5 lead, but went on a scoring drought that lasted almost six minutes. Penn State guard Shep Garner drilled back-to-back three pointers, giving Penn State a two-point advantage. The Gophers quickly answered with a tough Reggie Lynch post move and jumper by Akeem Springs to go back up by four points. The Gophers overcame a patch of low energy play as Nate Mason drilled two three pointers to put them up by nine points. Mason added another three-pointer just before half and the Gophers led 39-28 at the break.
Out of halftime, the Nittany Lions went on a 7-0 run to pull within six points, but the Gophers quickly answered. Dupree McBrayer knocked down a three-pointer to extend the Minnesota advantage back to nine points. Moments later, McBrayer drove down the baseline and delivered a massive slam, putting the Gophers up by 12 points with 12:19 remaining. A Payton Banks three-pointer pulled the Nittany Lions within 10 points, but that’s as close as they would get. Two Akeem Springs three-pointers and a dunk by Reggie Lynch fueled a 7-0 run, extending the Gophers’ lead to 77-61 with 3:39 left. The Gophers allowed Penn State to creep back, but finished with an 81-71 victory.
Murphy’s toughness on the glass, Lynch’s block party
The Gophers are a completely different team when Jordan Murphy is playing with the energy he has exhibited recently. Coming into this game, he was averaging 12.7 rebounds over his last five contests and continued his domination on the glass. He was grabbing tough rebounds and had fantastic position. His ability to be so effective on the glass opens up more opportunities for him around the rim on offense too. Jordan Murphy had 16 rebounds and was snatching every board coming his way. He had several strong put-backs off misses, and at one point, slammed home his own miss.
The Gophers attacked the rim down low after Lamar Steven and Mike Watkins picked up two early fouls each. Reggie Lynch and Jordan Murphy were dominant on both ends of the floor. Lynch stayed out of foul trouble, blocking 11 shots and notching zero fouls. After fouling out in numerous games, he put together this defensive performance without committing one foul. In the process, he broke the Gophers’ team record with 90 blocked shots on the season. He missed the single-game record by just one block. With the combination of Lynch and Murphy down low, one would be hard-pressed to find a better rebounding duo in the country. Minnesota’s team rebounding on both ends of the court make them a tough matchup for any team they play.
Penn State drilling long three pointers
The Gophers were contesting shots behind the arch in the first half, but Penn State was drilling tough shots. Shep Garner and Tony Carr hit some long-range jumpers and it kept the Nittany Lions within striking distance throughout the game. However, the Penn State offense continually settled for jumpers and didn’t match up well with the physicality the Gophers had around the rim on defense. Minnesota had just five team fouls at the half and nearly every shot they put up in the paint was blocked by Reggie Lynch.
Springs’ shots are rattling out, Mason/McBrayer on fire
Akeem Springs had trouble getting his shots to fall and was just 2-for-9 from the floor in the first half. He has so many shots that go halfway down the rim and roll out. When he can hit tough shots in transition or off ball reversals, the Gophers add another dimension on offense. Nonetheless, he still had 12 points and hit several timely jumpers. In addition, Amir Coffey had just three first half points, but again came alive in the final 20 minutes. He finished with 9 points and continued to methodically drive through the defense when he attacked the rim. Coffey hasn’t been producing substantially as of late, but his passing ability has been critical.
On the other hand, point guard Nate Mason was extremely efficient. He was hitting shots all over the floor, including 4 three pointers. He picked up his third foul early in the second half and went to the bench for a few minutes. When Mason was on the floor, the Gophers were a totally different team. He can not only hits shots, but facilitates the offense and doesn’t make mistakes. Mason had just three turnovers and is taking care of the basketball so well.
Dupree McBrayer continued his hot streak with another impressive second half. He had 15 points and is confident again with his mid-range jumper. He got the Barn on its feet when he drove baseline and delivered a huge dunk to put the Gophers up by 12 points. He is taking defenders off the dribble with a quick first step and strong finish in mid-air. McBrayer’s recent surge has provided a huge lift to the Minnesota backcourt.
All of the guards I discussed above did a great job of passing the ball in this game. Amir Coffey had a tough dish to Reggie Lynch for a slam and Akeem Springs found Eric Curry when the defense collapsed. Earlier in the game, Jordan Murphy also delivered a no-look pass to Springs. The Gophers had easy opportunities around the rim because of their ability to pass the basketball effectively.
Penn State uses a zone press
Penn State exploited a weakness the Gophers have had as a team this season. They deployed a zone press and went into a man defense when the ball crossed half court. This led to a slow moving offense for the Gophers and created deflections for the Nittany Lion defense. Minnesota made an adjustment near the halfway point of the first half and it drastically improved their ability to move the ball up the floor. Penn State used this strategy for a short period of time until the Gophers made the correct adjustments.
What’s Next?
The Gophers will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Williams Arena Thursday, with the tip slated for 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.