Final: #Gophers fall on the road to Rutgers. pic.twitter.com/DLzuWhVV3N
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) March 5, 2016
Minnesota Gophers 52
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 75
The Gophers, crippled by player suspensions and injuries, got the tough end end of blowout on the road in their final game of the regular season.
1) Lopsided first half sealed the loss early
The Gophers couldn’t buy a bucket during the first half. At the 12 minute mark in the first half, Minnesota had already allowed 21 points from Rutgers and answered back with just two of their own, according to the AP Report. By the end of the half, things had hardly gotten better, Rutgers led 40 to 15 and Minnesota were just 6 of 40 from the floor.
2) Jordan Murphy tries his best to carry the team
Minnesota arrived in New Jersey with only 5 scholarship players eligible for the game. Freshman forward Jordan Murphy tried to shoulder the team’s offense, playing a grueling 39 minutes of the game, but couldn’t get his shot to fall. He finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds on 3 of 21 shooting.
3) Big minutes for walk-on guard Sharp
Stephon Sharp, a freshman walk-on, found himself thrust into the spotlight following the Gophers’ recent suspensions as the only remaining point guard on the roster. Sharp managed 13 points, 2 assists and a steal on 6 of 19 shooting in 33 minutes played.
Tweet of the Night
Like we said, it was a tough day for the Gophers.
So. Many. Air balls.
— Amelia Rayno (@AmeliaRayno) March 5, 2016
Up Next:
The Gophers travel to the Big 10 tournament in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
