University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Lose in OT at Northwestern, 77-74
2/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota allowed a 13-point second-half lead to slip away before forcing overtime, but Northwestern used a 9-0 run in the extra period to escape with a 77-74 victory before a crowd of 6,062 at Welsh-Ryan Arena Sunday afternoon.
The Gophers led, 48-35, with 8:01 remaining in regulation after a free throw by sophomore forward Ralph Sampson III. But the Wildcats then went on a 20-4 run over the next 5:15, taking their first lead since 2-0 on a three-pointer by center Luka Mirkovic to go up 53-52 and then getting a layup by Drew Crawford for a 55-52 lead to cap the run at the 2:46 mark.
Lawrence Westbrook hit a jumper in the lane to cut it to 55-54 with 2:05 left, but NU's Michael Thompson pushed the lead back to three points by making a pair of free throws with just over 30 seconds on the clock. Westbrook missed a trey to tie it, but senior forward Damian Johnson grabbed the long rebound and fed junior guard Blake Hoffarber in the other corner for Hoffarber's first trifecta in six attempts to tie the game at 57-57 with 18.5 seconds left.
The Wildcats had a chance to win it in regulation, but Thompson's runner from the right side as the clock wound down caromed off the rim, and the game went to overtime.
In the extra session, Johnson made two free throws and Hoffarber nailed a trey to give the Gophers a 62-59 lead. But that's when Northwestern began its 9-0 run, taking a 68-62 lead, and then making its free throws to hold on for the win despite some clutch three-pointers by Hoffarber and sophomore guard Devoe Joseph that allowed Minnesota to keep it close. It marked Minnesota's second overtime loss in the Big Ten this season, as the Gophers also dropped an overtime decision at Indiana on Jan. 17.
Minnesota (14-10, 5-7 Big Ten) got off to a fast start by opening the game by making its first four attempts from three-point range, with Westbrook scoring eight points in the game's first four minutes and Joseph scoring six for an early 14-4 lead. When the Gophers then missed their next five shots, it allowed the Wildcats to go on an 8-0 run to cut it to 14-12, but Joseph hit his third trey and Paul Carter scored Minnesota's next nine points as part of a 12-3 spurt to push the lead to 26-15.
Northwestern (17-8, 6-7) answered by making three treys during a 9-2 run to cut it to 28-24, but the Gophers scored the final four points of the half to take a 32-24 lead to the lockerroom.
Westbrook finished the game with 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals for the Gophers, while Joseph added 16 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, and junior forward Paul Carter finished with 13 points off the bench. After missing his first five three-point attempts in the game, Hoffarber wound up making his final three. For the game, Hoffarber (3-for-8), Westbrook (4-for-8), and Joseph (4-for-8) combined to make 11-of-24 treys, as the Gophers were 12-for-27 (.444) from long-range in the game.
The Wildcats were led by John Shurna's 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc, while Crawford finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Mirkovic recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Thompson scored 14 points while dishing out seven assists.
Minnesota returns to Williams Arena on Thursday night, when it plays host to the Wisconsin Badgers for an 8:00 p.m. tipoff set to be televised live on ESPN.
