Minnesota Connection Leads Wisconsin Past Minnesota
February 9, 2012

The Minnesota Gophers shut down the 21st-ranked Wisconsin Badgers with a 16-3 run to force overtime, but Wisconsin converted 15 of 17 free throws in the extra session to come away with a 68-61 win, the first victory for the Badgers in Minnesota since 2008.

It was also the first win in a Wisconsin uniform at Williams Arena for Jordan Taylor, who had played many times on the floor as a youth and in tournament games while playing for Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School of St. Louis Park. The senior point game had 27 points, including 5 in overtime, to lead all scorers. Two other Minnesota players were in the Wisconsin starting lineup: center Jared Berggren of Princeton, who had 9 points and 3 blocked shots, and forward Mike Brusewitz from Henry Sibley High School, who had 9 rebounds.

It was Taylor who led the Badgers to a fast start as he made all four of his three-point shots in the first half, sending Wisconsin into the locker room with a 32-24 lead. Taylor credited his teammates with setting screens and giving him some separation on his shots behind the arc.

The Badgers built the lead to 13 points and had a 49-36 lead after a pair of free throws by power-forward Ryan Evans, who finished the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds, with 9:16 left in the second half.

After Minnesota cut the lead with a three-point basket by Andre Hollins and a layup by Julian Welch, Berggren made the score 51-41 with a putback with 7:43 left. Turnovers as a result of sloppy play and a stepped-up Minnesota defense, however, held the Badgers scoreless, and the Gophers mounted their comeback, led by the freshman Hollins.

Off the bench, Hollins had scored two points in the first half and had a hot hand after the break. He made one of two free throws with 6:33 left, then found Rodney Williams with a pass that led to a layup. Hollins drained a two-point jumper and followed with a three-pointer to bring the Gophers to within 51-49 with 2:24 left.

Austin Hollins finally tied the game with a pair of free throws with just over a minute to play. At the other end, Berggren missed a shot, and Julian Welch rebounded, giving Minnesota a chance to win the game in the final 30 seconds. However, Andre Hollins tried to drive the lane as the clock ran down, and an off-balance follow-up heave by Austin Hollins was unsuccessful, leaving the game tied and sending it into overtime. “We ran a pistol play to try to get someone to go the basket, which was Andre Hollins because he was playing pretty well,” said Minnesota coach Tubby Smith. “I thought he got in the lane and had a look there, had a shot fake, and had he leaned in he may have gotten a call there. But you want to get it up there on the glass. It wasn’t a great last shot but Austin was able to run it down.”

“I’m highly upset with myself about that,” said Andre Hollins on his shot that didn’t drop. “I should have gotten the ball on the rim and should have at least gotten a chance. That’s going to haunt me for a while, we had a second chance with the rebound but it didn’t fall.”

Wisconsin finally broke its drought on a pair of free throws by Josh Gasser with 3:54 left in overtime. Rodney Williams missed two free throws, and the Badgers countered with a field goal by Evans. After Berggren missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Badgers went back to the line with Evans, on a one-and-one, making both shots for a six-point lead. Although Minnesota went on to score 10 points in overtime, including two more three-pointers from Andre Hollins, the Gophers were left in a situation in which all they could do was foul. Minnesota committed nine fouls in the extra period, and Wisconsin responded, with Taylor making five of six free throws and keeping the Badgers with a comfortable margin until the final buzzer.

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan credited Minnesota with keeping his team scoreless for nearly nine minutes through the end of regulation and into overtime. He didn’t see the drought as a matter of the Badgers blowing the lead as much as, “Minnesota cut the deficit” by hitting big shots and “stepping up their defense.” Ryan said the Gophers’ quickness shut down the driving lanes, and “their wing spans caused a lot of deflections.”

Andre Hollins led Minnesota scorers with 20 points and Williams, with 16, was the only other Minnesota players in double figures.

Wisconsin upped its conference record to 8-4 while Minnesota dropped to 5-7. The Gophers have some tough opponents in their final six games, including meetings against Ohio State and Michigan State at home and Wisconsin on the road.