The Golden Gophers lost their ninth straight game Monday night in heartbreaking fashion, falling to the Wisconsin Badgers 73-63 in overtime, their second overtime loss in the last five games.
Minnesota (14-15, 3-13) took a seven-point lead at 58-51 with 5:58 to go but did not hit a field goal for the rest of regulation. With 14 seconds left, however, Jordan Murphy made his first of two free throws to put the Gophers up 59-56 before everything went wrong for the visitors.
Murphy missed his second free throw, and Bakary Konate fouled out of the game by bumping into Wisconsin’s Khalil Iverson on the rebound.
Iverson made his first throw to cut the deficit to 59-57, then missed the second, but the Badgers managed to tip the ball out to the perimeter for an offensive rebound. That set up Ethan Happ for a game-tying basket as he easily posted up against Gaston Diedhiou since Konate, the Gophers’ best defensive big man, had already fouled out of the game.
The Gophers had one final chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Nate Mason was tripped by Maple Grove, Minn., alum Brad Davison on his way to the basket and didn’t get a foul call.
Wisconsin (13-16, 6-10) then outscored the Gophers 14-4 in overtime for their eighth straight win in the rivalry.
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ICYMI: @BadgerMBB recorded a big rivalry win in overtime last night. pic.twitter.com/tEoQll1Q9L
— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) February 20, 2018
Richard Pitino will address reporters at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday to discuss Monday’s game and look ahead to Wednesday’s home finale against Iowa.
