Washington Leads Gophers in 65-55 Win over Harvard
December 30, 2017

Freshman Isaiah Washington, starting in place of injured guard Nate Mason, was game high with 13 rebounds as Minnesota beat Harvard 65-55 before a sellout crowd of 14,625 at Williams Arena.

Minnesota coach Richard Pitino commented on his team’s defense, rebounding, and toughness. The Gophers held Harvard to a 32.8 shooting percentage in the game (the Crimson were 21 for 64). However, the Gophers were barely any better at 33.3 percent.

Minnesota got to the line more 2½ times as often than Harvard, and the final score was reflected in the Gophers making 18 of 20 free throws to 6 or 8 for the Crimson. However, the big difference in the game was rebounding. Minnesota had 49, including 17 offensive rebounds, to 36 for Harvard.

Jordan Murphy continued his streak of double-doubles for the Gophers with 13 points and 12 rebounds, even though he was topped by Washington in the latter category.

While corralling lots of missed shots, Washington had many misses of his own, making only 4 or 17 attempts from the field. “It seems like every time he touches it, he shoots it,“ said Pitino of Washington. Pitino noted that Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers is Washington’s idol and that Irving “does wacky things.“ Pitino commented on the mid-range jumpers Washington took and cited analytics people who say that longer two-point attempts are not productive.

On the other hand, Pitino praised Washington’s defense and said, “He continues to take to coaching. He is definitely showing growth.“ With Mason out (he injured his ankle a week ago in a game against Florida Atlantic), Washington played 35 minutes. Pitino said he didn’t know when Mason would be able to play again.

Center Reggie Lynch, prone to foul trouble, played a strong game on defense, blocked four shots, and didn’t get his first foul until late in the game. His coach was pleased with his performance and added, “Not fouling isn’t necessarily good defense.“

The Crimson built leads of 7-2 and 9-4 with sophomore Seth Towns getting a couple of inside baskets, but an 11-point run put Minnesota ahead to stay.

The Gophers had a 29-20 halftime lead, but the Crimson fought back and pulled to within 45-42 on a three-point basket by Corey Johnson. The Gophers opened it up again on three-pointers by Dupree McBrayer and Washington. Washington then grabbed a defensive rebound at the other end and used his speed to race downcourt for a layup to give Minnesota a double-digit lead.

The Gophers are now 11-3 (1-1 in conference play) and resume their Big Ten schedule with games next week against Illinois and Indiana.

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