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Spartans Dominate Gophers, Win 70-62
January 26, 2020

Michigan-native Willie Burton had his number 34 retired by the Minnesota Gophers but saw the team he almost went to—the Michigan State Spartans—overwhelm his former team with a 70-52 pasting.

During Burton’s time with the Gophers, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Minnesota was tough to beat on its home court. The Gophers have been tough at home in the Big Ten again this season, knocking off ranked-teams such as Ohio State and Michigan at Williams Arena.

Minnesota was coming off another win over the Buckeyes, in Columbus, while the Spartans—ranked 9th and 11th in two different polls—had just been beaten by Indiana. For reasons of his own, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo brought his team to Minnesota early, and the Spartans worked out at Williams Arena and Target Center.

Izzo knew if the Spartans lost again, people would say they were just taking a vacation. “I would have looked like an idiot. Of course, there are times we won and I looked like an idiot.”

Points were scarce in the opening minutes. The score was 2-2 at the first media time out. The reason the Spartans weren’t scoring was the tough one-on-one defense Daniel Oturu was exhibiting against Michigan State center Xavier Tillman in the low post. When the Spartans tried to free their big man with a pick and roll, Tillman was called for a moving screen.

The reasons the Gophers had trouble scoring was because of cold shooting. “We couldn’t make a shot and it zapped us,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “It zapped the spirit right out of us.”

Minnesota hit only 9 of 32 field goals in the first half as it fell behind 30-22 and was 16 for 57 in the game, a percentage of about 28 percent in the each half. The Gophers made only one of two free throws in the first half, and Pitino said their poor shooting led them to get the ball inside more to Oturu, trying to draw fouls, in the second half. Minnesota finished with 15 free throws out of 20 attempts. From long range, the Gophers were 5 for 28.

Minnesota did start out with strong offensive rebounding but ended up on the short end, 39-35, in the overall battle on the glass. Pitino said of the Spartans, “They wear you down physically,” acknowledging that it was done in more ways than just rebounding.

The Gophers had leads of only 6-5 and 7-6 during a flurry that produced the only four lead changes of the game. The Spartans then began pulling away, twice opening up the lead to 13 points before the half ended.

The second half was more of the same, with Spartans senior point guard Cassius Winston running the offense. Winston led Michigan State with 18 points and 8 assists. Tillman had 17 points and 10 rebounds, the only player on either team to reach double figures in that category.

Izzo started freshman Rocket Watts in place of Aaron Henry and alternated the pair in guarding Minnesota sophomore sensation Marcus Carr. He said he is still looking for a player to step up and become part of a Big Three with Tillman and Winston. “I’m still trying to find a consistency button.”

Pitino used a short bench until the final minute, when both teams sent in the reserves, and got only three points, on a three-pointer from Tre’ Williams, from the bench. Jarvis Omersa didn’t score and had only two rebounds in the game.

Oturu was game-high with 19 points but had only 6 rebounds, barely half his season average. Gabe Kalscheur scored 15 while Carr had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Gopher Tales: News broke just before the game of Kobe Bryant being killed in a helicopter crash. Both coaches learned of it before the game but did not tell their teams until after the game. Izzo said of Bryant, “He stood for everything I believe in.” Like the Spartans, the Minnesota players were devastated by the news.

“It’s a reminder,” said Pitino. “We played like crap, but I’m going to go home and hug my kids and wife.”

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