Gophers Find First Losing Streak of Year at Indiana

Winning at Indiana has never been easy, and this was not a game I had been counting in Minnesota’s quest for the magical 10-victory mark in conference play. But after Wednesday’s collapse against Northwestern (a game I was counting on), this was a win I was hoping for. The absence of leading Hoosier scorer Bracey Wright (ankle) added a little more hope.

But Indiana’s talented (but young) lineup played quite well without their star, and the Gophers continued the offensive funk that has been plaguing them recently. After a poor start that saw them get down 20-9, the Gophers managed to rally and get within 29-27 at the half. Another poor start after the break quickly put the Minnesota deficit back in double figures, and the Hoosiers pretty much cruised from there.

Remember the games where four, five, or even six Minnesota players were scoring in double figures? They’ve unfortunately become a distant memory, as guys have lost confidence and the offensive motion on the court has almost stopped.

Vincent Grier, who had to do it all in Minnesota’s last two games, led the way again with 21 points. He wasn’t red-hot, but he again played well. This time, Vincent had help from Jeff Hagen. Jeff, who struggled against the Wildcats, turned in yet another gritty performance while playing with yet another injury (ankle). He finished with 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Jeff struggled to finish inside at times, but he did a good job of getting to the line (12 for 15 on 3s, and he fouled out D.J. White in just 18 minutes), and he was a warrior on the offensive glass (where 9 of his 15 boards came).

Unfortunately, the offensive going was rough for the rest of the Gopher roster. A late three-pointer gave Brent Lawson 7 points for the game, and no other Gopher scored more than 3. Despite missing Wright, Indiana’s depth and balance was the story. The Gopher reserves were outscored 27-5, and when the stats of Grier and Hagen are removed, Minnesota shot just 5 for 26 from the field.

The Gophers did dominate the boards (34-28 despite Indiana missing 12 fewer shots), and their defense was acceptable although not great (Indiana shot 50% from the field and 62% from 3-point range, but they hit several tough shots). Minnesota had 15 turnovers, which isn’t good, but again it’s livable. The main problems were in the scoring department, and the stats tell the tale. The Gophers had just 5 assists total, which hints at a lack of ball movement and aggressiveness. And their season-low 32% shooting from the field and 21% shooting from 3-point range indicates a loss of confidence.

Wednesday’s game at Michigan State will be the Gophers’ second toughest of the season, which means their NCAA Tournament chances are going to be depending on their ability to sweep the final four games of the regular season. They’re going to need to get their swagger back in a hurry for that to happen.

Here’s the box score.

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