The Gophers were outplayed and lacked energy in a 78-68 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Minnesota struggled within their offensive sets and played a step slow on defense the entire night. Jordan Murphy and Nate Mason combined to shoot just 9-for-28 from the floor as the Gophers were upset on the road. The Huskers are now 4-0 against the Gophers since opening Pinnacle Bank Arena.
It was a slow start to the game as both teams were just 5-for-18 from the floor. The Gophers shot just 28 percent over the first eight minutes and finished the half with a 33 percent mark. Nebraska went on a 7-0 run and led by eight points. The Huskers were often doubling down to disrupt Minnesota’s offensive flow. Their defense was forcing the Gophers to take quick and inefficient shots. Minnesota wasn’t moving the ball well and maximizing their possessions. Jordan Murphy shot just 1-for-7 from the floor before heading to the bench with two fouls. Teams are starting to play Murphy more aggressively and he has struggled to handle it. Murphy shot poorly from the floor in his last two games, but the last performance was masked by free throws. Nate Mason’s timely three-point shooting kept the Gophers in the game, but they trailed by eight at the break. Minnesota needed the guards to be more aggressive, especially with the Gophers’ foul trouble down low. The team shot just five free throws in the first half, coupled with their poor shooting effort.
The Gophers really struggled on the defensive end, too. Guard Nate Mason lost his man on numerous occasions and Minnesota’s post players were a step slow on defense. The defensive rotations were poor and the Huskers took advantage. Foul trouble also was a major problem for the Gophers throughout the game. Davonte Fitzgerald picked up three fouls late in the first half with Jordan Murphy already on the bench in foul trouble. It forced the Gophers to use Bakary Konate and Michael Hurt more, which exposed their depth. It was one of the first moments it was easy to see how much the Gophers miss sophomore Eric Curry off the bench. The unit struggled throughout the game and scored just five points. The Gophers were also outrebounded 44-41 and allowed 11 offensive boards. They were simply outplayed in every aspect of the game on both ends of the floor.
The Gophers started the second half 0-for-6 and Nebraska opened on a 7-1 run. They were driving down the lane and the big men down low weren’t rotating quick enough. Minnesota was a step slow on defense and the Huskers were capitalizing with finishes at the rim. The Gophers lacked energy on both ends of the floor and it presented the Cornhuskers with easy baskets. Nebraska’s team defense was the complete opposite of Minnesota’s and they did an excellent job of communicating, while executing their rotations. It was clear to see the entire team was in sync on defense and they did an excellent job of scheming for Minnesota’s offensive options. The Gophers weren’t rotating the basketball and settled for poor shots against the length of Nebraska’s defense. Minnesota trailed by as many as 16 points and looked lethargic throughout the night. Jordan Murphy went on a long scoring drought and the Gophers didn’t receive enough production from their bench to get back into the game. The limited contributions from Murphy and Nate Mason early in the game were a major factor in this game. Mason was taking wild threes at the end and the team had just nine assists. Murphy extended his double-double streak to ten games by notching ten points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the Gophers to fend off an attacking Cornhuskers team.
Minnesota will need to bounce back quickly as they travel to Arkansas for a tough SEC matchup on Saturday.