Late Gopher Run Puts Away Central Michigan

It was probably to be expected. Coming off a huge road win and facing a team that wasn’t supposed to be a match for them, the Gophers were a little off their game against the Central Michigan Chippewas. I purposely did not use the words “flat” or “sluggish”, because I didn’t have that impression. The Gophers still hustled and played solid defense (especially compared to past seasons), and their offense actually looked much better than it has in recent games (except for missing shots). They were just “off”.

The Gophers shot a lowly 39% in the opening half despite moving the ball well and getting many open looks. Considering how much they’ve struggled to generate offense against quick, pressure defense, I took that as a real positive. The Chippewas shot 50% in the first half and made 4 of 9 three-pointers. Minnesota’s defense was solid for the most part, but there were enough breakdowns to give Central Michigan some good looks. The Gophers couldn’t always keep their quickness and motion offense in check for a full 35 seconds. Considering Minnesota was “off”, trailing 32-30 at the break wasn’t cause for too much concern.

Minnesota came out a little sharper in the second half, but the Chippewas didn’t back down. The action was back and forth until Kevin Nelson hit a tough 3-pointer to put Central Michigan up 53-47 with 10 minutes to go. That was all she wrote…in a good way.

That’s when the Gophers stopped worrying about being “off” and instead decided to become hyperactive. They pulled out a defensive tenacity the likes of which The Barn hasn’t seen in a long, long time. Minnesota went on an 18-0 run fueled entirely by defense. They forced 7 turnovers during that stretch and seemingly had one breakaway after another. From there, they coasted to a 77-63 victory.

In hindsight, I guess I can see why the players and coaches said they came out “flat”. It didn’t seem like it until it’s compared to their intensity from the 18-0 run on. If this team can play at that level on a regular basis, they’ll surprise a lot of people. You can definitely see a new mindset this year. The second a loose ball hits the floor, multiple Gophers are hurling their bodies towards it without hesitation. That’s why a horrendous shooting night (Minnesota was 0 for 10 from 3-point range) against a better-than-expected team can still result in a 14-point victory.

Jeff Hagen led the Gophers with a career-high 21 points and was the primary reason why they 40 points in the paint and 43 attempts at the free throw line (where Jeff was 11 for 13). Jeff also had 5 rebounds and 5 blocked shots and really did a good job of capitalizing on the Chippewas’ lack of size.

Vincent Grier turned another quiet first half into another 19-point game. Considering he never scored from beyond 2 feet out, that’s impressive. Vincent’s defense helped fuel the Gophers’ run, where he finished three transition opportunities with dunks. He also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds and had a couple of great assists.

Rico Tucker scored 12 points, two of which came on an alley-oop dunk (not a monster, but not bad) in the first half. Rico was only credited with 2 assists, but his playmaking on offense – especially in the first half – was very good. His 4 turnovers are still something he needs to work on, but he’s already a difference maker on the court. His defensive pressure in the first half (he finished with 3 steals) helped keep Minnesota in the game.

Brent Lawson and J’son Stamper both scored 8 points and also had solid games. Brent finished with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and was a big part of the 18-0 run on both ends of the court. He really did a nice job moving without the ball in the second half. J’son only had 3 rebounds, but for the first time he really looked comfortable on offense. He finished with 3 assists and showed good vision and passing ability, and he also showed the ability to score off the dribble and with a mid-range jumper (perhaps the longest Gopher make of the day). Now he just needs to get comfortable at the line.

This was another character-building win for the Gophers. Central Michigan’s lineup (4 quick guards and one power forward) presented some match-up problems, and they shot the ball well from the perimeter, while Minnesota couldn’t get anything to fall. But they hung with it, took advantage of their strengths (see the points in the paint and free throws), and just outworked them. Shoot a little better and have the Chippewas be cold, and they probably win by 30. I’ll take it.

Here’s the box score.

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