PP: Mistakes Have Eclipsed the Bright Spots

Ignatius L Hoops

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John Shipley:

Back on Jan. 5, Minnesota’s women’s basketball team played host to unbeaten and third-ranked Ohio State and wasted little time in showing its potential.

The Gophers handled the press, scored in transition and survived the Buckeyes’ inevitable runs while building a 61-55 lead through three quarters. Ohio State took control in the fourth quarter and won 83-71, but it appeared the young, promising Gophers had gotten over a hump.

Instead, the season started unraveling.

“I think we all thought that was a little bit of a turning point,” freshman guard Mara Braun said. “But then some days it’s like a whole different story, and then some games it’s back up there again. So, it is just super inconsistent right now.”


The Gophers (9-16 overall, 2-12 Big Ten) went on to lose nine of their next 10 games and bring a six-game losing streak into Wednesday night’s game against Nebraska (14-11, 6-8) at the Barn. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

The Gophers can still play sharp, exciting basketball, but those stretches have been interrupted by longer stretches of mistakes — it’s wearing on the team.

“It’s been really tough,” said freshman forward Mallory Heyer, who finished with career highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds in last Saturday’s 76-70 overtime loss to Wisconsin at Williams Arena.

“I feel like we’re just never really consistent throughout a whole game,” she said, “and I feel like once we are, we’re going to be great. We just need to, through four quarters, stay consistent and composed and obviously limit the turnovers; that’s been killing us this whole year.”

Indeed.

Since winning at Penn State on Jan. 18, the Gophers have lost to Purdue, No. 12 Michigan, No. 2 Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin by an average of 20.1 points. In those six games, they were outscored on points off turnovers by an astonishing 140-46 — an average of 23 points a game.

“I feel like we’ve had some stretches of being better at taking care of the ball, and then there are times when it feels like it’s contagious, where it just kind of comes in waves,” coach Lindsay Whalen said. “That’s where we’ve got to have poise and understand ball security.”

“It’s been a lot of games,” Whalen added, “so you want to see more carryover. But we just keep teaching and keep learning. That’s where we’re at.”

After surrendering a two-point lead in the final minute against the Badgers last week, the Gophers coughed up the ball on three of their first five overtime possessions and only scored five points in the extra session — all by Heyer, who ultimately scored 19 of the Gophers’ last 22 points.

“It’s frustrating because it seems so repetitive, and it seems like we’re always so close and we can’t get over that hump,” said Braun, who is shooting 46.2 percent (12 of 26) from 3-point range in her past five games. “I think there have been a couple times early in the season, and with the two Penn State wins, that we adjust and we win those games.

“So, you learn from your mistakes and take that forward, but at the same time, it’s so frustrating.”

The Gophers have four regular-season games remaining, then will be the host team for the Big Ten tournament March 1-5 at Target Center.

“We’re all determined. We all want to work hard,” Heyer said. “We come in here every single day and we’re here for each other. I feel like we have a lot of potential and we just need to break through and everyone will really see.”
 

While I think it’s great they are working hard and want to learn, I am not sure this group can fight their way out of bottom of Big Ten during their four years here. The top teams are going to keep reloading.

On a side note while I think Battle accomplishment on the freshman assist record of 109 is impressive I wonder if she’s also on track for the turnover record. She’s at 90 right now so for almost every assist she has a turnover.
 




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