Gophers drop to 1-5 in Big Ten after comeback falls short in 81-71 loss to Iowa
Gophers guard EJ Stephens scored a season-high 22 points Sunday in Minnesota's 81-71 loss to Iowa at Williams Arena. ((credit: University of Minnesota Athletics))
MINNEAPOLIS - Short-handed and riding a three-game losing streak in the Big Ten, the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team nearly completed a dramatic second half comeback against Iowa on Sunday in front of more than 10,000 fans at Williams Arena.
The critical word there is nearly. The Gophers trailed 63-40 with about 12 minutes to play, then went on a 31-11 run and got as close as 74-71 with 1:29 to play on Jamison Battle’s 3-pointer. Keegan Murray, the NCAA’s leading scorer, answered with a 3-pointer that proved to be the dagger in an 81-71 win over the Gophers.
After a 10-1 start, Minnesota has lost four straight and dropped to 1-5 in the Big Ten.
"They knew there was going to be a chance to have a run that was going to allow us to get back in. I thought to a man everybody firmly believed that and they knew it was coming. That’s just kind of who we are, who this group is. The effort is going to be there, we just ran out of time," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said after the loss.
The Gophers were short-handed Sunday. Eric Curry was unable to play due to an ankle injury suffered late in regulation at Michigan State. Sean Sutherlin, Danny Ogele and Joey Kern were unavailable either due to illness or COVID-19 protocols. Sutherlin and Ogele were not on the bench Sunday, and the Gophers were without two assistant coaches, including Dave Thorson.
After largely avoiding the virus this season, COVID-19 has hit the Gophers. Johnson doesn’t know if the situation will get better or worse before Minnesota heads to Penn State on Wednesday.
The Big Ten’s forfeiture guidelines say teams must have at least seven scholarship players and one coach available to play. The Gophers met that threshold on Sunday.
"Who knows? Our guys really have done a great job with, not only getting vaccinated and boosted, but just to wear masks and be aware of who they’re around. I think every coach knows at some point, you’re probably going to get hit," Johnson said.
Charlie Daniels, starting for the injured Curry, was the only starter not to play at least 30 minutes. Minnesota lacked depth in the front-court Sunday, and Iowa took advantage. The Hawkeyes out-scored the Gophers 52-32 in the paint, including 34-14 in the first half. Iowa out-rebounded Minnesota 40-31, and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds that turned into 17 second chance points.
Iowa used its size to build a 43-27 lead at the break, led by Murray, who finished with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. Filip Rebraca, Jordan Bohannon and Patrick McCaffery all added 12 points each for the Hawkeyes. Rebraca, who chose Iowa over the Gophers last spring, also had 12 rebounds.
E.J. Stephens led Minnesota with a season-high 22 points. Battle had 20 points and eight rebounds, and in his first meaningful minutes of the season, Treyton Thompson had eight points and two rebounds. With just seven scholarship players available, the Gophers fought back from down 23 in the second half and gave themselves a chance. All that was missing was the finish.
"As a team we’re not satisfied with losing, regardless of being undermanned. I think everyone in that locker room today felt that," Battle said.
The Gophers are 1-5 in the Big Ten, but only a 76-53 loss to Illinois was a blowout. Minnesota had a second half lead at Indiana before losing 73-60. The Gophers took Michigan State to the last possession in a 71-69 loss at the Breslin Center. Sunday, they cut a 23-point deficit to three, but couldn’t finish.
"Eventually we’re going to break through, I told those guys that today. Eventually we’re going to have our breakthrough, and it’s going to be because of everything we’ve learned through these first couple weeks. Hopefully it’s going to snowball the right way," Johnson said.
Johnson is taking some expected lumps in his first season as a head coach, but he’s earning respect across the Big Ten with how the Gophers are competing. He got praise from Tom Izzo earlier this season, and again Sunday from Iowa coach Fran McCaffery.
"He’s done a miraculous job. He’s got good personnel, and it’s not easy. Just go to the transfer portal and get some guys? Ok. That’s what he did," McCaffery said. "But to get all those guys to play together, to buy in, to compete the way they do and to be incredibly unselfish, is masterful. That’s what he’s done."
The Gophers (10-5) need to get Curry’s ankle healthy, and they need to get past COVID-19 before heading to Penn State on Wednesday.