After being able to overcome a poor first half effort against Penn State over the weekend, the Minnesota Golden Gophers were not as lucky on Wednesday night, dropping their home finale to Indiana 70-58.
The Golden Gophers for the game shot just 38.6% including just 19.2% from three-point range they also were 9-of-14 from the free throw line in the defeat. Indiana, who announced head coach Mike Woodson would return for next season after a disappointing 2023-2024 season shot 54.5% from the field.
For the Gophers, it was a tough shooting night for all starters except Pharrel Payne who was 4-for-6 for4m the field for eight points. He also had five rebounds and a block.
The best player on the court for the Gophers was poetically senior forward Parker Fox who was 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line for a team leading 14 points and five rebounds.
In Wednesday's game, Indiana grabbed early control with an 8-0 lead but to the Gophers credit, they would work their way back from the early deficit and eventually take a lead within the first six minutes of action and would hold onto that lead for just around eight minutes of game time before Indiana reclaimed the lead with just under six minutes to go at 24-23.
However, the Hoosiers ending the first half on a 12-2 run which allowed them to take a five point lead into halftime would set the tone for the remainder of the game.
Coming out of the break, it would be all Indiana as the Hoosiers throughout the half would consistently grow their lead, at one point leading by as many as 19 points with just over two minutes remaining. The Gophers would finish the game on a 10-3 run but it would all be for not as the Gophers would fall by the final score of 70-58.
UP NEXT
The Golden Gophers will close out their regular season on Saturday against the Northwestern Wildcats at 9:00 p.m. in Evanston. The Wildcats enter the matchup with a 20-10, 11-8 B1G record after falling to Michigan State on Wednesday night.
