Minnesota Gophers 69
Michigan Wolverines 74
The Gophers battled, but didn’t have enough to pick up their first Big Ten win, as they fell to Michigan 74-69 in Ann Arbor Wednesday night.
1. Gophers make it a grind for Wolverines
Neither team shot very well. Minnesota shot 42 percent in the loss, but the Gopher defense held the Wolverines to 36 percent shooting on the night.
The difference was really at the three-point line. The Wolverines were 9-of-31 from behind the arc, while Minnesota was just 5-of-21, and only knocked down a single three in the second half.
2. Murphy a man possessed inside for Gophers
Gophers freshman Jordan Murphy continues to impress. Murphy finished with 13 points, while grabbing eight rebounds. He blocked three shots on the night, as well.
In one second half stretch, Murphy had two big blocks in a row, allowing the Gophers to cut the Wolverines lead late in the game.
Murphy using his 7-foot wingspan to sway that shot away from the #Wolverines. Defense really picked up after poor stretch in 1st half.
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) January 21, 2016
Nate Mason was Minnesota’s top scorer with 25 points.
3. Irvin posts double-double for Wolverines
Wolverines forward Zak Irvin had a really big first half, on his way to a double-double. Irvin finished the night with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
He cooled off a bit in the second half, but Irvin’s teammate Derrick Walton Jr. stepped it up in the second to finish with 22.
Up Next:
The Gophers (6-13, 0-7 Big Ten) will host Illinois at “The Barn” Saturday night.
