Mason Triumphs in Last Williams Arena Appearance
February 21, 2018

On February 20, Minnesota senior guard Carlie Wagner, in her last game at Williams Arena led her team with 34 points against the Indiana women’s team. The following night, Minnesota senior point guard Nate Mason, in his final game at Williams Arena, led his team with 33 points against the Iowa men.

The difference? Indiana defeated Minnesota and Wagner, 82-70. Mason’s team, however, beat Iowa by the score of 86 to 82

Mason simply refused to allow his team to lose as they overcame a furious Iowa onslaught in the final minutes of the game and hung on for the win. Only their fourth in Big Ten play. Much has been written about how adversity in the form of injuries and suspensions have crippled a once promising team, eliminating it from post-season play. On this night, the Gophers were able to take a commanding 22-2 lead on a Mason free throw, then hang on for dear life, never trailing in the contest. Mason, despite a leg injury incurred in the previous game (an overtime loss to Wisconsin), played all 40 minutes against the Hawkeyes.

The halftime score was Minnesota 31, Iowa 19. Viewers who tuned in the Big Ten Network for this prime-time game saw two teams mired in the conference cellar flaying away at each other with bad shots, turnovers, and foolish fouls.

Then, as if my magic, the two teams transformed themselves into NBA superstars. Minnesota racked up 55 points in the period, and Iowa 6-5 guard Isiah Moss scored 26 of his 32 points. Mason went from 14 first-half points to his final point total of 33.

The game appeared safely in Minnesota hands with a 69-58 lead with only 2:12 remaining, but the understaffed Gophers were wilting as they had in the previous game versus Wisconsin. But Minnesota still held a 10-point lead with less than a minute remaining. A three-point basket by Moss cut the lead to 78-71. A pair of Moss free throws sliced the lead to six points. Then Minnesota’s Michael Hurt turned the ball over with 27 seconds left to go, and Iowa was within two baskets of tying the score. A Hawkeye shot missed, and Mason was fouled. He Hit both free throws, and the lead was 82-74. Stiil, the Hawks continued to surge, a Luka Garza layup basket and follow-up free throw, and Iowa was within five with 15 seconds left, and the crowd of 11,732 holding its breath.

Iowa fouled Mason, and he made one of two attempts for his 33rd point. But Moss was fouled and was successful on both free throws. DuPree McBrayer made a free throw for an 84-79 lead, but Moss countered with a three-pointer, and all of a sudden, Iowa was down by only 84-82. Davonte Fitzgerald was fouled with two seconds left. And the previously-erratic redshirt calmly sank two free throws for the final margin.

“We played 38 and one-half minutes of good basketball, then we got tired,” observed a relieved Minnesota coach Richard Pitino after the game’s conclusion. “Iowa has depth, and we don’t. Nate Mason willed us to victory. I’m lucky to be his coach.”

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