Hoosiers Top Tenacious Gophers 70-63
January 16, 2016

The Minnesota Gophers fell to 0-6 in the Big Ten, and the Indiana Hoosiers rose to 5-0 in conference play, but the Hoosiers had to battle the entire game to hold off Minnesota for a 70-63 win. “We’re proud of this win because we had to earn it,” said Indiana coach Tom Crean.

Gophers coach Richard Pitino praised his team’s defense, bottling up the inside and stifling a dynamic offense. “If we defend like that, we’ll win some games.” Pitino cited poor free-throw shooting (the Gophers got to the line more than three times more frequently than the Hoosiers but converted only 63.3 percent), failure to get loose balls at key points, and turnovers down the stretch.

The pattern for one of the problems was set early when Nate Mason missed two free throws 25 seconds into the game. Nevertheless the Gophers built leads of 5-0, 8-2, and 17-8. Indiana senior Nick Zeisloff—who has struggled with his shooting in Big Ten play—hit four consecutive three-pointers to pull Indiana within 21-20 before Minnesota senior Joey King buried a pair of threes to open it back up for the Gophers.

Indiana didn’t lead until 1:17 left in the half when, following a Minnesota turnover, Kevin Yogi Ferrell fed Max Bielfeldt for a lay up and 33-32 lead. King’s free throws put the Gophers back in front, and Ferrell then went to the line for a one-and-one with 5.1 seconds left. He made the first but missed the second, which was rebounded by Minnesota center Ahmad Gilbert, who drove the length of the court but missed a lay up at the buzzer. The teams went into their locker rooms died 34-34.

Minnesota had possession to begin the second half but lost control of the ball and the struggle to get it back. Robert Johnson of the Hoosiers came away with the ball and fed Ferrell, who hit a three-pointer. The whistle then blew because Gilbert was still on the floor at the Gophers’ end. In the scrum, he dislocated the middle finger in his left hand; after the game, Pitino said Gilbert would need surgery and didn’t know how long he would be out.

The lead changed hands a few more times before Zeisloff connected on his fifth three-pointer to put Indiana ahead to stay, 46-44, with 13:35 left. The Hoosiers never extended the lead beyond eight points but had enough to hold off the Gophers. Indiana had 10 turnovers in the first half and three more in the first 3½ minutes of the second half but protected the ball the rest of the way while taking the ball away from the Gophers at critical times.

Pitino emphasized that the Gophers don’t go for moral victories but added, “You go through games like this, and you learn from it.” King, off the bench, led Minnesota with 18 points, and Jordan Murphy had eight rebounds, tied for high in the game with Troy Williams of Indiana.

Ferrell topped all scorers with 20 points. Crean credited Ferrell and two other seniors, Zeisloff and Bielfeldt, for the play. “The leadership and response of the seniors was huge.”