University of Minnesota Athletics
Fast Break: Northwestern
1/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Recap | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2
SERIES, ETC.
Tonight's 77-69 loss was the 163rd all-time meeting between Minnesota and Northwestern, with the Golden Gophers holding a 95-68 lead in the series (not counting vacated games). The Gophers hold a 56-22 lead in games played in Minneapolis. With the loss, Minnesota falls to 14-9 overall and 3-7 in the Big Ten, while Northwestern completed a season sweep and improved to 13-9, 4-5 B1G. Head coach Richard Pitino is 2-5 against the Wildcats, and 33-56 against Big Ten foes, while Minnesota now stands at 1,464-1,091 all-time. Coach Pitino's fifth-year record at Minnesota is 89-70, and his six-year career mark is 107-84.
STARTING FIVE
Coach Pitino utilized a starting lineup of seniors Nate Mason and Davonte Fitzgerald, juniors Jordan Murphy and Dupree McBrayer, and sophomore Amir Coffey. Mason made his 91st career start, while Murphy was in the starting lineup for the 77th consecutive time. McBrayer started his 54th career game and Fitzgerald made his first career start with the Gophers after making six starts in two seasons at Texas A&M.
MASON SPARKS GOPHERS TO HALFTIME LEAD
Nate Mason had 17 points and six assists in the first half, helping the Gophers to a 40-34 lead at the break. Mason made 6-of-8 field goals, including 3-of-4 from outside the arc, as the Gophers knocked down six of their first nine three-point attempts and ended the half 6-of-10. Minnesota used an 11-2 run to rally from an early 13-7 deficit, and then went on a second 11-2 run to build its biggest lead of the half to 32-22. Jordan Murphy, Dupree McBrayer and Amir Coffey all had six points. The Gophers had 13 assists on 16 field goals in the opening 20 minutes.
MASON GOES FOR GAME-HIGH 25
Nate Mason led all players with 25 points, his third game with 25 or more this season, and now has 1,562 points for his career (eighth all-time at Minnesota). Mason needs 53 points to pass Quincy Lewis (1996-99, 1,614 points) for seventh all-time. The senior played the entire 40 minutes and knocked down 7-of-14 field goals, including 4-of-8 treys and 7-of-8 free throws, while also leading all players with nine assists (zero turnovers) and three steals. Mason, a reigning First Team All-B1G guard, is averaging 15.8 points and 4.5 assists this season.
COFFEY IN DOUBLE-FIGURES FOR 13th STRAIGHT TIME
Amir Coffey made 7-of-13 field goals to finish with 15 points, stretching his streak of consecutive games played with double-figures to 13 straight. Coffey missed five games this month due to injury, but he has reached double-digits in all but two games this season. He added four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
MURPHY JUST MISSES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Jordan Murphy had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Gophers, just missing his 20th double-double of the season. Murphy, who leads the nation with 19 double-doubles, was 4-of-8 from the field and five of his boards were at the offensive end of the floor. Murphy now has 818 career rebounds, which ranks seventh all-time at Minnesota, and needs three more boards to pass Ron Johnson (1958-60, 820 reb.) for sixth. Murphy is averaging 17.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND NUMBERS
Minnesota connected on 6-of-10 three-pointers in the first half, but were just 3-of-14 (.214) from beyond the arc in the second half … the loss was Minnesota's first this season (12-1) when leading at the half … Northwestern made more free throws (18) than the Gophers attempted (16), and Minnesota was just 10-of-16 (.625) at the line … tonight's attendance was 11,302, and the Gophers are averaging 11,879 per game through 14 games … Nate Mason moved into a tie with Michael Bauer (2000-04) for career three-point field goals with 191, and he is now tied for ninth with Darryl Mitchell (1979-82) with 153 career steals … Jordan Murphy now has 101 offensive rebounds (4.4 per game) this season.
