Final: #Gophers fall to OSU in overtime. pic.twitter.com/FFomt4au4D
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) January 7, 2015
The Gophers are off to an 0-3 start in the Big Ten after they dropped another tough one, falling to Ohio State 74-72 in overtime Tuesday night at Williams Arena.
Marc Loving’s game-winning bucket with five seconds remaining was the difference maker for the Buckeyes, as a last-second half court-shot from Minnesota’s Nate Mason came up just short.
For a moment, it looked like Mason and the Gophers might send the game into double overtime. Mason tied it up at 72 when he completed a three-point play with 24 seconds left, but the Gophers weren’t able to stop Loving with the game on the line.
D’Angelo Russell led Ohio State with 27 points, while Loving finished with 13.
Maurice Walker had 18 and DeAndre Mathieu had 17 to lead the Gophers.
The Gophers and Buckeyes battled back and forth early on, but Ohio State put together a big run near the end of the first half that allowed them to take a double-digit lead into the break.
A furious rally brought the Gophers back in the second half as Minnesota overcame the 12-point halftime deficit.
This is the loudest I've heard Williams Arena in a long time.
— Tyler Mason (@tylermason21) January 7, 2015
But in overtime the Buckeyes held off Minnesota when they had to.
The Gophers (11-5, 0-3) play at Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
