In the days following the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ 89-84 win over a three-man Alabama Crimson Tide squad, Richard Pitino has heard his share of slights: fans wondering why Minnesota had to sweat out the final minute, how did Alabama’s Collin Sexton end up with 40 points, and why were the Gophers winding the shot clock down on offense instead of pushing the pace against the exhausted Crimson Tide?
Pitino isn’t interested in the knocks. Not after his team played the majority of the first 30 minutes with a double-digit lead and ultimately came away with a win against a top-25 adversary.
“Any criticism of what we did, to me, is really fake outrage, so that doesn’t bother me,” said Pitino. “If you were there and you actually watched — which I know you’re all lying, you didn’t get on Facebook and watch — you would understand how bizarre it was.”
Pitino is referencing the fact that the game was streamed live exclusively on Stadium, Facebook’s partnering sports network. The broadcast brought in approximately 9,000 viewers for the bulk of the game, then ballooned to over 30,000 as Alabama mounted its comeback while playing shorthanded. Most viewers never saw the way the Gophers played before Alabama’s bench was ejected, sending the game into chaos.
“We played outstanding basketball the first 30 minutes,” said Jordan Murphy, who had a double-double at halftime.
The score was 67-54 with 10:41 to go when John Petty rolled his ankle, leaving the Crimson Tide with three players. For the next seven minutes, 30 seconds, Alabama outscored Minnesota 19-16, but the Gophers’ 10-point lead still seemed secure with 3:11 remaining. It was a 7-0 run led by Sexton at that juncture that injected some anxiety, but not for Murphy, who was fouled out and observing from the bench.
“I knew we were going to win the game the whole time,” he said. “I really wasn’t worried at all. They were just hitting crazy stuff. To Collin Sexton’s credit, he’s a good player, but he was shooting beyond NBA range.”
Pitino was content holding the ball on offense while Alabama’s trio was able to rest on defense as the shot clock wound down. Why not push the pace and tire out the Crimson Tide? After the earlier scuffle that led to seven ejections, as well as a verbal altercation between Nate Mason and Sexton that led to Mason’s ejection minutes before, the Barclays Center atmosphere had taken a turn for the worst, which played into Pitino’s decision.
“It was not real healthy in there,” he said. “People were getting ejected from the stands. I’m not saying I felt unsafe or anything, but the scuffle, I think it all kind of contributed to the elements, and it was time for the game to end.”
The confines will be much friendlier — at least for the home team — Wednesday night as the Gophers host the Miami Hurricanes in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
And no, they haven’t been practicing 5-on-3 situations in practice.
“I know it’s a cute story, and it is what it is,” said Pitino. “I’m very happy with the preparation and everything that went into that game.”
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