University of Minnesota Athletics
Fast Break: Michigan State
12/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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SERIES, ETC.
Tonight's 75-74 overtime loss was the 115th all-time meeting (not counting vacated games) between Minnesota and Michigan State, with the Spartans holding a 59-56 lead (Gophers lead 33-22 in Minneapolis). Head coach Richard Pitino is 1-3 against MSU, and 18-42 against Big Ten foes, while Minnesota now stands at 735-804 all-time in B1G play. Coach Pitino's fourth-year record at Minnesota now stands at 63-53, and his five-year career mark is 81-67.
STARTING FIVE
For the 12th time in 14 games, Coach Pitino utilized a starting lineup of juniors Nate Mason and Reggie Lynch, sophomores Dupree McBrayer and Jordan Murphy, and true freshman Amir Coffey. Mason made his team-leading 49th career start in Maroon and Gold, while Murphy was in the starting lineup for the 34th time and McBrayer made his 28th start. All three of those players have started every game this season. Lynch, a redshirt junior who transferred from Illinois State, has started 13 games for the Gophers, while Coffey also made his 13th career start. The Gophers are 10-1 with that starting unit this season.
COMMON BIG TEN OPENER
Minnesota and Michigan State have opened the Big Ten Conference schedule against each other five times in the last 10 years. Four years ago, the Gophers defeated Michigan State, 76-63, at Williams Arena. Tonight's overtime loss was the third time in the last four games that Minnesota and Michigan State have battled past regulation. This was the first overtime game versus the Spartans at Williams Arena since a 79-78 loss on Jan. 28, 2004. Minnesota's last overtime win also came against the Spartans, a 96-90 victory in East Lansing on Feb. 26, 2015.
MURPHY MAKES HISTORY
Jordan Murphy added his name to the list of top rebounding performances in Minnesota men's basketball history, as he grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds to go along with 12 points, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals. It's Murphy's fifth point-rebound double-double of the season and the 13th of his career. He's the first Gophers player with 20 or more rebounds in a game since Richard Coffey pulled down 20 versus Grambling State on Dec. 30, 1987. Melvin Northway is the only other player with 21 rebounds, which he accomplished at Wisconsin on Feb. 16, 1965, and that figure ties for seventh all-time. The school-record total is 28 by Larry Mikan versus Michigan on March 3, 1970.
FOUR GOPHERS REACH DOUBLE-FIGURES
Minnesota had four players reach double-figures in the game, led by Nate Mason's team-high 18 points. Mason, who has scored in double-digits in all but one game this season, has now accomplished the feat 50 times during his career. He added five rebounds and four assists. Amir Coffey finished with 17 points, while Dupree McBrayer had 14 and Jordan Murphy scored 12.
FREE THROWS
Minnesota made 31-of-45 (.689) free throws in the game, as it outscored MSU 31-10 at the stripe. Nate Mason was a 7-of-8, Dupree McBrayer and Amir Coffey were each 6-of-8, and Eric Curry was 4-of-4. For the season, Minnesota is 270-of-390 (.692) at the free throw line this season.
MISCELLANEOUS ODDS AND ENDS
Among odds and ends in tonight's game, Jordan Murphy grabbed his 350th career rebound and scored his 500th career point … Nate Mason had his 13th game in double-figures … Dupree McBrayer made his 100th career free throw … Amir Coffey moved past 150 career points … Reggie Lynch played in his 80th career game and scored his 700th career point … Minnesota played its first overtime game this season, and its first since a 76-71 loss to Illinois on Jan. 23, 2016 … Minnesota held its 12th halftime lead, and the Gophers are 10-2 in those games … the Gophers fell to 6-1 when wearing their Gold uniforms this season … the announced attendance of 11,407 was Minnesota's largest home crowd this season.
