IU falls in closing seconds at Minnesota
Channel: Fun Sport
Date: 16/02/2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was a game the 2016 Indiana University outright Big Ten champions would have found a way to win.

It was also a game the struggling 2017 Indiana University basketball team would find a way to lose.

Akeem Springs, who missed his first 10 shots and was 1-for-12 after missing a perimeter jumper with 6 seconds to play, followed his shot, got a long rebound and scored on a putback with 3.2 seconds remaining Wednesday night to lift Minnesota to a 75-74 victory over Indiana at Williams Arena.

Nate Mason was one off his career high for scoring with 30 points. Eleven of those points came at the free-throw line in 12 attempts.

Following Springs’ shot, Indiana coach Tom Crean called time out and drew up a play. James Blackmon Jr. raced the ball down the floor and got free in time to put up a running shot from just above the 3-point arc at the buzzer, but the ball sailed wide to the left.

Just like that two streaks were extended. Minnesota (19-7, 7-6 Big Ten) won for the fourth time in a row. Indiana (15-12, 5-9) lost for the fourth time in a row. The Hoosiers have also now dropped six of their last seven games.

“The last shot just came down to we had three seconds and coach drew up a great play and I felt like we got a pretty good look,’’ said Blackmon, who led the Hoosiers with 22 points including four 3-pointers. “It was something close to what we got at Penn State, but it just didn’t fall.’’

Crean said it wasn’t really the same play as the end of the Penn State game on Jan. 18.

“It was somewhat of a screening angle, but no we had something on the other side,’’ Crean said. “It was just a matter of which guy was open on it, and he got it off. I don’t think we were as comfortable to go against that length and get it across half court in the air right there with the lineup we had in.

“It was more of you’ve got time for two dribbles, maybe three, and get a long catch up the floor. So it was a little different but the same family of plays.’’

The difference with the shot at Penn State was that Blackmon was able to get his feet set beyond the 3-point line at the right wing, and he knocked down a shot at the buzzer that lifted Indiana to a 78-75 victory on the road. Interestingly, that is IU’s only road victory of the season. The Hoosiers are now 1-6 in true road games.

And IU still must play three of its final four games on the road with stops at Iowa, Purdue and Ohio State. The Hoosiers also have a home game Feb. 25 against Northwestern.

Indiana held a 74-73 lead following two free throws by Thomas Bryant with 17 seconds remaining and appeared to be happy with the shot that Springs forced up from the left wing. But the ball was batted back out, and both Blackmon and Bryant appeared to miss blocking out their opponents. Springs got to the ball and banked it in to give the Gophers the lead.

Crean said Springs was credited on the final statistics sheet with a steal and not an offensive rebound, but he thought it was an offensive rebound as well.

“He made a play,’’ Crean said. “It’s crazy. He’s a really good player, but that was his second basket of the game. He has done a great job. They have done an excellent job. We were winning those games a year ago with an experienced group, those close games like that. He (Minnesota coach Richard Pitino) was not winning those games a year ago, but his group is getting more experienced.’’

Crean acknowledged that Indiana has been close in a lot of games this year but has been unable to get completely over the top and scratch out the tough victory. But he’s confident IU can still find that mentality it takes.

“That’s the key, and I’m betting on myself and my staff because we believe in them,’’ Crean said when asked if it’s hard to get his team to believe in itself after so many tough losses. “And as long as they don’t let things inside of their ears or inside of their eyes dispel that and they continue to look back at us and trust, that film, and trust each other the way they do, they’ll be fine.

“Our work ethic is so good, and our spirit of tenacity and improvement of togetherness is so good your heart just aches for them. I’m 50, and my heart aches to lose a game, but it really aches for them with everything that they put into it.’’

Indiana jumped out to an early 10-point lead at 22-12 following a Blackmon 3-pointer with 7:22 to play before Minnesota closed the half on a 21-7 run. The Golden Gophers led at halftime, 33-29.

Minnesota extended its lead to as many as nine points in the second half at 42-33 following a drive by Amir Coffey. Coffey scored all 17 of his points in the second half.

But the Hoosiers kept battling. A 13-4 run midway through the second half gave IU a 51-49 edge with 10:07 remaining following an inside shot and free throw by Juwan Morgan. Morgan had 14 points and seven rebounds