Is the Richard Pitino era at the University of Minnesota over? The head coach waits to learn his fate after the Gophers were knocked out of the Big Ten tournament with a 79-785 loss to Ohio State on Thursday afternoon.
Trailing 72-60 with 1:40 to play, the Gophers put together a ferocious rally that saw Marcus Carr hit a deep three to cut the Buckeye lead to one at 75-74 with 8.9 seconds remaining.
A pair of free throws gave Ohio State a 77-74 lead with 8 seconds left. Carr hit one of two free throws after being fouled, but the Buckeyes grabbed the rebound on his miss to hold a 77-75 lead with 2.6 seconds to play.
Two free throws sealed the deal, with Ohio State clinching a 79-75 victory.
Minnesota was once again without 7-footer Liam Robbins (ankle), who when healthy is one of their top scoring options in addition to being one of the best interior defenders in the country.
The Gophers fell apart in the second half of the season, going from a team that was ranked in the top 25 to a team that finished two games under .500.
Minnesota was 11-4 after upsetting Michigan in mid-January, but lost 11 of 14 to end the season.
