Gopher Basketball
Around 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon though, that lock appeared to be a fleeting dream. The Gophers took two of my Keys of the Game to the extreme – “Weather the Storm” and “Take Care [of the Ball]”.
The storm was certainly there, as the Boilermakers came out playing in-your-face defense and crashing the boards trying to get their coach a final victory. Meanwhile, the Gophers did everything but take care of the ball. So, with 5:30 remaining in the first half, Purdue had a 20-6 lead, and Minnesota had 11 turnovers. 11 turnovers and just 6 points…that’s not good.
But miraculously, the Keys then kicked in. The Gophers turned the ball over just once in the final 25:30. They started scoring some points and hung even with the Boilers for the next 10 minutes, but that still left them trailing 40-25 with 14:43 remaining in the game.
The Gophers then cranked their intensity up another notch. Their defense stymied the Boilers, holding them to 11 points in the final 8:30. Minnesota also started firing on all cylinders offensively. Aaron Robinson led the charge, draining three 3-pointers midway through the half to get the Gophers within 44-46. A Vincent Grier steal and dunk then gave Minnesota its first lead since 4-2. Two minutes later, a huge follow dunk and ensuing free throw by J’son Stamper put them up 53-52 with 3:47 left in the game.
Purdue responding with a three-pointer, but freshman Dan Coleman then calmly sank two free throws to tie the game at 55 with 3:02 remaining. After a Boiler free throw, Dan lined up arguably the biggest shot of his Gopher career and buried a 3-pointer to put Minnesota up 58-56 with 1:12 left on the clock. Both teams would each hit just one free throw the rest of the way, and while Purdue got a couple of good looks in the final 10 seconds, they didn’t fall. As a result, Gopher fans are starting to feel the tingle of March Madness in the air.
The first half was absolutely horrendous and isn’t worth analyzing. In the second half, the Gophers got back to playing the style of basketball that got them to 9-6 in the Big Ten. And for possibly the first time all season, they had four different players step up down the stretch in a huge game. The balanced stats in the box score reflect that.
Aaron Robinson got the charge started with his shooting (he was 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, and a couple of those were very deep) and finished with 14 points. Vincent Grier led the Gophers in scoring again with 15. He didn’t have his jumper working, but his 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds (and just 1 turnover) were huge. Dan Coleman finished with 9 points, with 5 of them coming in the final 3 minutes. And J’son Stamper turned in a great second half, burying two long jumpers in addition to his huge 3-point play. And of course, when Purdue missed a shot with 5.9 seconds left in the game, J’son was the guy who tracked the ball down.
Man, was this win huge. The Gophers’ work isn’t done yet, as they absolutely must win at Penn State Wednesday night, but this was the toughest game of their final four by far in my opinion. They should beat Penn State, and they should be able to do it without giving Gopher fans another heart attack. A victory would put them at 20-9 and 10-6 in the conference, and while I won’t sleep like a baby unless they also win a game in the Big Ten Tournament, those credentials really should make them a lock for the Big Dance. I get chills just thinking about it.
Yep, first 15 minutes not withstanding, the Gophers weathered the storm and took care of the ball. Was there ever any doubt?
Here’s the box score.
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