Loewe and Battle lead shorthanded Gophers over Northwestern 77-60

By: Tony Liebert |
Feb. 19, 2021: Without their starting PG Payton Willis (COVID protocols), the Gophers stepped up and picked up a much-needed win over Northwestern 77-60.

–> Follow @Tony Liebert on Twitter

Full Game Recap:

  • First Half: Without Payton Willis (COVID protocols), the Gophers started Saturday with a lot of energy. With all five starters getting on the board and recording an assist on five of its first six field goals, Minnesota led 15-8 heading into the first media timeout. The efficient start continued on both ends of the floor, as the Gophers extended their lead to 19-11 heading into the under 12 media timeout. The unbelievable offensive started rolling on. Luke Loewe began the day four of four from the field for 11 points, four assists, and one rebound, proving to be a terrific fill-in for Willis in the facilitator role. The lead grew to 29-15 heading into the under-eight media timeout. Thanks to a 7-11 shooting start from beyond the three-point arc, Minnesota was able to extend its lead to 36-19 with four minutes to go. The Maroon & Gold closed the half strong, but a sloppy final sequence resulted in three Northwestern points and a 43-27 halftime lead.

  • Second Half: Northwestern came out of the locker room with something to prove, outscoring the Gophers 10-4 in the first sequence narrowing the lead to 47-37. It looked like the Wildcats were going to work themselves back into the game, cutting the lead to seven, but a big three from Luke Loewe helped the Gophers regain the momentum. His three resulted in a 12-2 run and a 59-42 lead with 10:50 to go. Loewe continued to dominate topping his Gophers career-high, but 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists from Jamison Battle would not go unnoticed, as the lead grew to 66-46. The Gophers offense went a bit cold to close the half but ultimately came out on top 77-60.

Instant Reaction & Takeaways:

That first half was Ben Johnson-led Gophers basketball. Minnesota has not played a better 20 minutes of basketball, since late December in the non-conference. Without Payton Willis in the lineup, it seemed as if the offense would struggle without its facilitator, but thanks to Loewe, Battle, Sutherlin, and Stephens all stepping up with 22 combined assists, they didn’t skip a beat. In the second half, it looked like Northwestern would work itself back into the game, cutting the lead to seven, but a terrific response from the Gophers completed a terrific all-around performance.
Battle’s 21 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists paired with Loewe’s 24, 7, and 2 were terrific, but Sean Sutherlin‘s 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists alongside E.J. Stephens‘ 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists was ultimately what took Minnesota over the top. What confused me most, was why Northwestern did not attack the Gophers frontcourt more. Curry was battling flu-like symptoms, only playing 25 minutes, but the Wildcats didn’t seem to really notice. Minnesota led the rebounding battle 37-30, so I guess at the end of the day it didn’t really matter. College basketball is a  game of runs, and the Gophers finally got a game where their shots fell.

What is Next?:

This game should give the Gophers terrific momentum heading into the final four games of the season. With Wisconsin next on the schedule at the Barn, Ben Johnson could quickly flip the vibe of this season heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

– v. Wisconsin
– v. Indiana
– @ Maryland
– @ Northwestern

I believe that a win against the Badgers in Williams Arena would wrap up an over-achieving first season of the Johnson era. With three more winnable games to close the season, they could build some serious excitement heading into next season, with more reinforcements set to arrive. This win was big, not Johnson and the Gophers will just need to build off of it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *