Showing no signs of rust after missing one game with a sprained ankle, Minnesota Golden Gophers senior point guard Nate Mason got the Maroon and Gold started fast with an early 17-2 lead over Illinois.
It turned out to be enough to stave off the late-charging Fighting Illini and give the Gophers their fifth straight win.
Mason scored 17 points with four rebounds and six assists and played a game-high 37 minutes in Minnesota’s 77-67 victory, in which they led by as many as 20 in the first half.
“I thought Nate was terrific,” said head coach Richard Pitino, “to play 37 minutes, hadn’t really practiced a lot, hadn’t gone up and down, that was sheer heart and will.”
Mason didn’t find out until Tuesday that he’d be playing. He suffered a scary-looking injury on Dec. 23 that appeared like it might have affected his Achilles tendon, but Mason was declared day-to-day with an ankle injury after receiving an MRI.
His return to the lineup re-energized the Gophers, who looked lackluster at times during the non-conference season. Mason hit a tough turnaround jumper with 9:33 remaining in the first half, then followed it up with consecutive 3s to give Minnesota its biggest lead at 28-8.
“I was just trying to do everything my team needed me to do to win,” said Mason. “I just try to lead these guys to victory, and I feel like I did a pretty good job of that.”
After starting the game 1 for 19 from the floor and 0 for 11 from 3-point range, Illinois pushed Mason and the Gophers to their limit with a second-half charge.
After cutting the deficit to 39-26 at halftime, the Fighting Illini (10-6, 0-3), led by new coach Brad Underwood, locked down defensively and forced Minnesota into eight second-half turnovers. A 10-2 run, capped by Da’Monte Williams’ putback, helped them cut the lead to 55-51 with 10:14 left.
It was a seesaw battle until the game’s final four minutes when Mason came up big again. With the Gophers leading 65-60, Dupree McBrayer hoisted an air ball that was tipped to the corner by Jordan Murphy with the shot clock winding down. Mason grabbed it, elevated and drained a 3-point shot to put Minnesota up by eight, and Illinois was never able to make the score any closer.
“I barely can talk right now,” said a tired Mason, “but it was a huge test just getting back in the swing of things.”
All five Gophers starters ended the game in double figures. Amir Coffey shot 6 for 9 from the floor with 16 points, Dupree McBrayer added 12, while Reggie Lynch (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Murphy (17 points, 17 rebounds) notched double-doubles.
For Murphy, he inched one step closer to Tim Duncan with his 16th straight double-double to begin the season. Duncan holds the NCAA record with 17 consecutive.
Reaching Duncan’s mark would mean a lot to Murphy, a San Antonio native who grew up revering the great Spurs forward.
“Tim Duncan’s one of my idols, one of my favorite players of all time,” said Murphy. “Being mentioned in the same sentence as him is a blessing.”
Stats to Think About
- Illinois shot a season low field goal percentage 34.7 percent.
- Minnesota’s bench got outscored 27-4 with Isaiah Washington and Bakary Konate each scoring two points.
- The Gophers outscored the Illini 10-0 on the fastbreak — all 10 coming in the first half.
Up Next
The Gophers (13-3, 2-1) stay at home to face the Indiana Hoosiers, another squad with a new head coach, Archie Miller. Tip off is at 4:15 p.m. at The Barn.
