Minnesota Defeated By Indiana 73-60
On the road in Bloomington, Minnesota kept it competitive against Indiana, but ultimately fell off in the last few minutes to lose 60-73 to the Hoosiers. It was a hard fought game, but ultimately the Gophers came up short. Here are three of the key takeaways I got from watching, as well as a few of the top performers from the day.
Signs of Fatigue Late
For most of the second half it was a back and forth game, as the Gophers rallied from their halftime deficit to lead at moments. That was sparked by a run in which the Gophers were getting high percentage looks, and converting on a lot of them. What changed? As the game kept advancing, there were signs of fatigue as Minnesota just couldn't create the same separation, or convert on their chances at a similar rate as earlier. With such a slim bench, it's going to be hard on the starting five to keep playing these long minutes. Four of Minnesota's starters played 35+ minutes, while Indiana had just two player receive more than 30 minutes. That means that Minnesota was continuously going against fresh legs while they had been in the game for 15+ minutes in a row during the second half. Against this level of talent, it's hard to keep up offensively when you're getting tired late in the game.
Struggles From Beyond The Arc
For most of the back end of this game, the leads were in single digits. That means that a couple of made shots either way could have drastically changed the outcome. For the Gophers, their 5-25 shooting from beyond the arc was costly. Some of this just comes down to shots falling on some days and not falling on others. However, I also thought that some of the shot selection was poor. Guys putting up contested threes with plenty of time left in the shot clock hurt the percentage, and also gave away the opportunity to work the ball for a better look.
Success Slowing Down Jackson-Davis
The Gophers made it a priority from the jump to slow down Trayce Jackson-Davis, especially after giving up 29 points to Kofi Cockburn earlier in the week. Yes, he still scored with efficiency, but Minnesota did a good job of limiting his touches, holding him to 13 points which is well below his season average of 21+. This was a team effort, as perimeter defenders were constantly sagging off their man to limit Trayce's space down low, which would make it hard to get him the ball, and when he did have the ball it forced him to give it up quickly. During the first half Indiana really shot the ball well which ended up hurting Minnesota in the long run, but for most of the second half we were able to see how effective that strategy can be.
Key Players For Minnesota
Payton Willis- 18 points, 5 rebounds
Jamison Battle- 19 points, 6 rebounds
EJ Stephens- 12 points, 3 rebounds
Key Players For Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis- 13 points, 12 rebounds
Xavier Johnson- 14 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
Rob Phinisee- 13 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
What's Next For Minnesota?
Minnesota remains on the road, as they travel to take on Michigan State in a rematch this Wednesday. The game tips at 6pm central time, and will be aired on the Big 10 Network. The two teams met earlier this season, with Michigan State defeating Minnesota 75-67.
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