The Gophers rallied in the second half behind an impressive effort from senior guard Nate Mason. He led the team with 22 points, nine assists and just one turnover. Dupree McBrayer added 18 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Gophers fell 75-71 to Indiana at Williams Arena.
McBrayer needed to score more points and he quickly answered the call. He opened the game with two three-pointers, but things quickly dried up as he missed his next three shots. He regained a rhythm by knocking down two key second half three-pointers. Guard Nate Mason was also drilling three-pointers and long jumpers to help the Gophers overcome the depth issues they were facing. The Gophers searched for scorers as Amir Coffey missed the game with a shoulder injury. Mason had 9 assists, drilling nearly 50 percent of his shots. The Gophers were already attempting to fill the hole of losing Reggie Lynch and were dealt another loss at the guard spot with Coffey missing the game.
To open the game, Indiana’s Juwuan Morgan had two threes behind the arch to fuel an 8-0 run, allowing Indiana to grab a quick six-point lead. The Gophers answered in a game which featured numerous runs by both teams. Davonte Fitzgerald hit an open three-pointer to eventually narrow the gap to one point, but Robert Johnson answered with a long-range shot. Fitzgerald was playing more aggressive and had six points as he filled in for Jordan Murphy, who played just ten minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Fitzgerald will need to step up as the Gophers have limited depth down low following Lynch’s suspension.
Indiana made four of their first five shots from beyond the arch to end small Minnesota runs. Entering the game, the Gophers were shooting just 31 percent, but had success in the first half. Minnesota was a step late on their rotations and close-outs, providing Indiana with more chances. The Gophers also went on an 0-for-7 shooting drought, which lasted more than four minutes. Indiana was dominating the glass on both ends and had second chance opportunities throughout the afternoon. Minnesota finally stopped the momentum with back-to-back threes by Davonte Fitzgerald and Nate Mason during an 8-0 run. At halftime, the Gophers trailed by just one, despite being outrebounded 26-to-18 and allowing seven second-chance points.
The Gophers went on a 23-6 run to lead by eight points out of the break. Minnesota was creating deflections on defense, helping them in transition. When the Gophers can space the floor and get on the run, they are at their best. Indiana went on a quick 16-3 run to answer and pull ahead by two points. It was aided by two missed traveling calls that led to successful Indiana possessions. The Gophers answered with a long jumper and deep three-pointer by Nate Mason to claim a 60-57 advantage with 7:31 left. Indiana clawed back behind a Justin Smith three-pointer to lead by one point. Late missed free throws by Jordan Murphy and Dupree McBrayer were costly. Murphy and Nate Mason also rushed late shots as the Gophers attempted to knot things up.
The Gophers played three players more than 30 minutes and simply looked overmatched at times, especially down low, losing the rebounding edge 45-35. Their depth took a significant hit with the loss of Reggie Lynch and Amir Coffey’s injury was just additional trouble. The Gophers will need to figure out a rotation before they travel to Northwestern on Wednesday.
Jordan Murphy managed to tie Tim Duncan’s consecutive double-double streak by posting his 17th. However, it was overshadowed in the final seconds as the Gophers dropped their second Big Ten game.