University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Defeated in Big Ten Tournament First Round
3/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Ninth-seeded Minnesota was knocked off by #8 seed Northwestern, 75-65, in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon.
The Gophers led briefly early in the second half, but the Wildcats controlled the rest of the way to advance. Second Team All-Big Ten selection Trevor Mbakwe earned his 19th double-double of the year with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while All-Big Ten honorable mention selection Blake Hoffarber had 13 points and five rebounds.
With the loss, the Gophers currently own a 17-14 record and will have to wait to learn of a possible invitation to a postseason tournament.
Ralph Sampson III scored 12 points and grabbed five boards, while Austin Hollins had eight points to go along with four rebounds.
Michael Thompson scored a Big Ten Tournament record 35 points to carry Northwestern (18-12) to the win.
Leading 32-30 at halftime, the Wildcats remained in front until the 16:08 mark, when an Mbakwe free throw knotted the contest at 35-35. Following a TV timeout, an Mbakwe jumper finally put the Gophers back in the lead. Minnesota would hold the advantage until the 12:16 mark, when Northwestern's Alec Marcotullio nailed a three-pointer to put the Wildcats back on top. That trey was followed by two more Northwestern three-pointers, which gave the Wildcats a 50-44 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Keeping the momentum, the Wildcats led by 12 points at 60-48 with 7:45 to play in the game after a Drew Crawford three-point play. From there, Northwestern would increase its lead to a game-high 16 points, 62-46 with 4:21 remaining.
The closest Minnesota would come from that point would be the final margin of 10 points, as Northwestern cruised to its second-straight win against the Gophers and advanced to the quarterfinals were it will face #1 seed and top-ranked Ohio State.
The Gophers out-rebounded the Wildcats, 40-30, but were outshot 42 percent to 38 percent from the field.
Minnesota opened the game by taking a 2-0 lead, but after the Wildcats scored the next four, the Gophers would trail until the 6:23 mark when a jumper by Sampson III tied the game, 21-21.
The Gophers utilized a 10-0 run to lead 24-21, but the advantage was short-lived, as Northwestern quickly moved back ahead and led the rest of the half before taking a 32-30 edge into the locker room. Sampson III paced the Minnesota with 10 points and four rebounds in the opening 20 minutes, while NU's Thompson tallied 13 points.
