The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team came up short in a bid for their first win at Indiana in 10 years, falling to the Hoosiers 73-60 on Sunday afternoon.
One of the biggest flaws for the Gophers on Sunday was their defense. Minnesota came into the game limiting teams to just 26 percent shooting from behind the arc, which was the lowest clip in the Big Ten.
But Indiana was able to find wide-open shots and they did not miss. The Hoosiers made seven of their nine 3-pointers in the first half and it helped them go on a 17-4 run in the final 6:30 to go into halftime with a 39-29 lead.
The Gophers rallied in the second half behind Payton Willis. The Minnesota guard came out of the locker room hot, scoring 12 of his 18 points and leading his team to a 49-48 with 11:09 to play.
This was TOUGH đź’Ş
Payton Willis drew the foul on the jumper and hit the shot for @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/bckRyL2lNp
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 9, 2022
Although both teams were evenly matched, Indiana had more depth to secure the victory. Trace Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Rob Phinsee knocked down four 3-pointers off the bench to help Indiana go on a 17-5 run to help build an 11-point lead.
Jamison Battle led Minnesota with 19 points but the deficit was too much to overcome and the Gophers headed toward their second straight loss.
Big Ten play doesn’t get easier for the Gophers (10-3, 1-3 Big Ten) as they’ll head to No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday.
