In what ended up being arguably the toughest test yet for the Gophers, they managed to claw back from a second half deficit and defeat Pittsburgh 54-53 on the road as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. This win puts the Gophers at 6-0 on the season, and these are three takeaways that I got from watching their performance last night!
Defensive Struggles Down Low
We knew that John Hugley was going to be a test for the Gophers, but we didn't know that he'd cause this much trouble for them. At 6'9 and 280 pounds, Hugley was a force to handle inside. So much that he scored more than his season average in just the first half. His presence inside forced Eric Curry to pick up four fouls, as well as forcing Charlie Daniels to pick up four fouls in just 9 minutes of play. Even Danny Ogele got four minutes to try to slow down Hugley, and picked up two fouls himself. Hugley moved well at his size and was relentless on the glass as he finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. This was the best big man Minnesota faced all year, and they struggled to contain him. The Big Ten is loaded with talented bigs, and Minnesota will have to look at the film and find ways that they can adjust to defend the paint in the Big Ten this season. It was a rough night inside, but this can be used as a learning experience to improve in the future.
The Luke Loewe Effect
He definitely hasn't been the biggest scorer for Minnesota this year, but Loewe just keeps finding ways to impact the game. Most notable last night was his game winning basket as he came soaring down the lane to tip in a missed shot with just two seconds to go. He was one of the smallest players out there but put in the effort to go make a play and it paid off. Outside of his lone bucket, his perimeter defense helped hold all of Pitt's backcourt players in single digits, including holding Femi Odukale, one of Pittsburgh's best players, to just 2-8 shooting. Loewe stays low and moves his feet to cut off angles, and he also works hard to fight through screens. Not a lot on the box score last night, but he came up big when it mattered.
Fighting Adversity On The Road
This was Minnesota's first true road game of the year, and it was a tough one against ACC competition. I know that Pittsburgh doesn't have the greatest record this season, but going on the road against any high major team is a tough task. Trailing for most of the second half, this Minnesota team showed a lot of heart to come back and win. Jamison Battle was scoreless for just 10+ minutes in the second half, and then went on a rampage to claw Minnesota back with some tough jumpers. Luke Loewe was scoreless for the first 39+ minutes and then fought over size to tip in an offensive rebound for the win. The Gopher bigs fought through foul trouble and a few questionable calls but were still working their tails off to try to slow down a 280 pound center. When it mattered most, the Minnesota players on the floor and on the bench delivered and picked up a tough win on the road.
Key Players For Minnesota
Jamison Battle- 16 points, 7 rebounds
Payton Willis- 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Luke Loewe- 1 game winner
Key Players For Pittsburgh
John Hugley- 25 points, 14 rebounds
Femi Odukale- 6 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
What's Next?
The Gopher's will once again be on the road as they travel to take on Mississippi State. The game will tip at 1pm on Sunday December 5th, and will be aired on ESPNU. Mississippi State is 5-1 on the year, and led by 6'11 Tolu Smith with 16 ppg (2 games) and 6'3 Iverson Molinar at 15.8 ppg.
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