The Minnesota Golden Gopher men’s basketball team was able to rally from a 14-point deficit and force overtime but ultimately fell to the Rutgers Scarlett Knights 77-70 on Saturday afternoon.
The Gophers got off to a rough start as a team in the first half, but it was especially true for Marcus Carr. The junior was held scoreless in the first half and picked up three fouls to land him on the bench.
With the Gophers struggling, Rutgers took advantage with a 13-5 run before halftime to head into the locker room with a 37-28 lead.
🎯 @Geo_Baker_1 hits it from DEEP to give @RutgersMBB the 3! pic.twitter.com/LSlBHbOS9C
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 6, 2021
The Scarlet Knights built a 14-point lead in the second half, but the Gophers came storming back behind Brandon Johnson. The senior put up 19 points and 11 rebounds to pick up the slack and get Minnesota back into the game.
Johnson’s performance helped the Gophers make their move and close out the second half on a 17-5 run. Although Carr didn’t have a great afternoon, he tied the game with 49 seconds remaining to force overtime.
The extra frame was dominated by Rutgers thanks to Jacob Young. The senior scored 23 points and added seven assists to help the Scarlet Knights earn the victory.
With Minnesota finishing its regular season with a 13-14 record and losses in 10 of their past 12 games, they’ll head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament next week.
