CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – There was a pretty clear storyline for the Illinois men’s basketball team Saturday against Minnesota. It was a must-win situation for the program’s dwindling NCAA tournament hopes.
The Gophers weren’t in that position yet, but they saw what desperation looks like first hand.
Trying to snap a five-game losing streak, Minnesota opened the second half building a 10-point lead and held on for a 68-59 win against Illinois in front of the first sellout crowd at the newly renovated State Farm Center.
Reggie Lynch had 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks for Minnesota. Akeem Springs also had 14 points and six rebounds with family in attendance from Waukegan, Ill., and Mississippi.
The Gophers (16-7, 4-6) had a players-only meeting Monday to air out the frustration about why they were struggling to win so many close games. Five of the six losses were by single-digits, including against Big Ten title contenders Maryland and Wisconsin at home.
The “intense” meeting focused on captains Akeem Springs and Nate Mason calling their teammates out for not doing the little things such as boxing out, getting a loose ball or hustling to contest a shot.
Gophers men 68, Illinois 59 Wednesday: 8 p.m. vs. Iowa (BTN)
Gophers men 68, Illinois 59 Wednesday: 8 p.m. vs. Iowa (BTN)
Those things can be just as important as making shots, which Minnesota didn’t do early Saturday.
Gophers coach Richard Pitino watched his team shoot just 30 percent in the first half, but Minnesota surged to a 59-46 lead after a transition layup from Dupree McBrayer with 7:54 remaining.
Illinois (13-11, 3-8) shot 4-for-16 to open the second half after battling to tie the game 35-35 at halftime.
Lynch scored eight points in the first six minutes of the second half. The 6-foot-10 junior from Edina and Illinois State transfer threw down an emphatic dunk for a 48-40 lead at 14:20.
The Illini responded on three straight possessions, but Mason scored six points in a row for a 54-44 lead.
With members of the Orange Crush student section screaming for their team to make one last rally, Illinois cut it to 62-56 at 3:45 after back-to-back jumpers from Maverick Morgan.
Springs missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to give Illinois an opportunity to make it closer. But Mason’s layup and Amir Coffey’s two free throws extended the lead to 10 points with under a minute.
The Gophers were road warriors to open the Big Ten season with two impressive wins in a row at Purdue and Northwestern. They had lost three straight away from home at Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, but they had a chance to win the latter two down the stretch.
This time Minnesota figured out a way to come together and pull it out in crunch time.
The last two times the Gophers won at Illinois they made the NCAA tournament in 2010 and 2013. The lllini’s chances appear to be fading for an NCAA bid, but Pitino’s team is very much still in contention, especially after Saturday.
Coffey finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Mason also added 11 of his 13 points in the second half for the Gophers.
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