Takeaways: Gophers basketball loses on buzzer beater at Michigan State, 71-69
Eric Curry #1 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers is helped off the court after turning an ankle during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on January 12, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. ((Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team lost at the buzzer to Michigan State, 71-69, Wednesday night at the Breslin Center to drop to 10-4 on the season.
It also came at a cost, with senior Eroic Curry going down injured late. One the one hand, the Gophers hung with a top-10 team, on the road in a hostile environment and nearly pulled off an improbable upset. On the other, they had multiple chances in the closing minutes to finish off what would’ve been a huge win, but either couldn’t get a defensive stop or committed a critical error.
Here are takeaways from Wednesday’s loss.
ERIC CURRY’S BIG NIGHT BEFORE INJURY
The last time the Gophers played Michigan State, Curry scored 18 points. Wednesday, he had a career-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, and grabbed seven rebounds. He got whatever shot he wanted, when he wanted it, and the Spartans had no answer. That is, until he went down in the final minute of the game with a left leg injury. Battling for a rebound, Curry went to the ground and had Jamison Battle roll up on his left leg. Curry was on the floor in pain for several minutes, before having to be carried off.
Ben Johnson said after the game Curry is likely day-to-day with an ankle injury, which is best-case scenario for the Gophers. Curry has an injury-plagued history, and put off going into a coaching role to play one more season. He’s beloved by teammates, and is the heart and soul of the team. The hope is the injury isn’t serious, though he was in a walking boot after the game.
COSTLY LATE DEFENSIVE LAPSE
E.J. Stephens hit a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game 69-69, and Michigan State had the last possession. Payton Willis lost A.J. Hoggard in the final possession, and Hoggard drove to the basket. Sean Sutherlin, guarding Joey Hauser, had to come over to stop Hoggard at the rim. Hoggard found Hauser for the game-winning lay-up with 0.7 seconds left. As well as the Gophers played, it was a costly mistake at the most critical time. If Willis stays with Hoggard, it’s likely a contested shot at the rim and a trip to overtime. If he makes it, you tip your cap to Hoggard.
GOPHERS DROP TO 1-4 IN BIG TEN
Minnesota was projected to finish last in the Big Ten in Johnson’s inaugural season, so a slow start in the league isn’t a surprise. But the program has turned heads with road wins at Pittsburgh, at Mississippi State and the Gophers’ lone Big Ten win so far, at Michigan. The Gophers dropped to 1-4 in league play after Wednesday’s loss. Three of the first five games have been on the road.
MINNESOTA HAS 3 OF NEXT 4 AT HOME
A huge opportunity awaits the Gophers, with or without Curry. Minnesota has three of its next four at Williams Arena, starting with Iowa on Sunday. The stretch after includes a trip to Penn State, followed by home games against Rutgers and Ohio State. The Gophers also travel to Wisconsin to end January. We’ll know a lot more about what this team is capable of at the end of the month.
BEN JOHNSON’S GOPHERS SIMPLY DON’T QUIT
It may sound like a cliché and calling it a moral victory, but there’s simply no quit in the Gophers with Johnson leading the sideline. They trailed Michigan State back in December by as many as 19 in the second half before cutting it to six. They battled Indiana at Assembly Hall despite a tough shooting day, and they played with the Spartans on the road until the final possession. They had a lead in the second half and had multiple chances to get a road win, but couldn’t close it out. That’s far more than what the outside expectations were for the Gophers this season.
What happens over the next four games will say a lot about this team, and this season.