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Spartans suffer "sickening" loss at home to Minnesota

February 26, 2015

Men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo credited Minnesota after falling to the Golden Gophers 96-90 in OT despite MSU leading by six with 34 seconds left in the first half.

Photo by Omari Sankofa II | and John Neidhart The State News

In another disappointing home performance for the Spartans, Minnesota stormed into Breslin Center and strolled away with a 96-90 victory.

With his team leading by three points, sophomore forward Gavin Schilling fouled Minnesota junior guard Carlos Morris on a three-point heave with just over two seconds left. Morris’s shot went in but he missed the go-ahead free throw, as the Spartans went to their sixth overtime game of the year.

In overtime, Minnesota outscored MSU 9-2 in the first three minutes before freshman guard Lourawls Nairn answered with two free throws.

The Golden Gophers dominated the extra period, making 14-of-20 free throws—in just five minutes.

Valentine led MSU with 27 points and senior guard Travis Trice followed with 21 points. Carlos Morris scored 20 for the Golden Gophers.

With the loss, MSU (19-9 overall, 10-5 Big Ten) saw its five-game win streak come to a screeching halt.

“It’s a sickening loss but I don’t want to take anything away from them because they played hard, and they played well, and they deserved to win,” head coach Tom Izzo said.

Defense was hard to come by for the entire game, and for MSU, Valentine took advantage of it. He made four first half three-pointers and finished the game with seven.

Sophomore guard Alvin Ellis also proved valuable, coming off the bench to score an efficient seven first half points in just five minutes. He was a transition threat when he was in the game, finishing two lay-ups and even sinking one of MSU’s seven first half three-pointers.

Every time MSU looked like it could blow the game open, Minnesota clawed back into it, scoring at will against an almost non-existent Spartan defense.

“It all (came) down to we couldn’t guard anybody,” Izzo said. “The proofs in the pudding.”

The proof is Minnesota’s 51.8 percent clip from the field and just a shade under 43 percent shooting from three point range.

After an early three in the second half, Valentine was held in check for almost ten minutes. He reappeared with a triple around the six minute mark, as he worked around a screen for an open shot on the right wing.

The Golden Gophers took their largest lead of the game at the time (three points) with 3:54 remaining in regulation.

A few Spartan possessions later, with the shot clock winding down, Trice found the ball in his hands. As he’s done a few times this year, Trice jacked the three, but this time, his step-back was pure, and MSU tied the game at 67 with 2:26 left.

Minnesota answered with a bucket in the lane, but Trice’s hot hand carried over to the ensuing possession. He hit another three to put MSU up by one. Then, the senior guard flipped a Minnesota turnover into a fast-break dunk for Dawson and Breslin Center exploded.

MSU couldn't take care of business down the stretch, Morris hit the game-tying three, and the rest was history.

Some of MSU’s most disappointing losses have come from within Breslin this year, and the loss to Minnesota is the team’s fourth at home this season.

“I think we get comfortable,” Trice said. “If you look some of our best games, we play on the road because it’s kind of us against the world...Regardless, we’re basketball players. It shouldn’t matter where you’re at, who’s there. You should still play.”

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