Minnesota, the team that won the National Invitation Tournament last season, came to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday night to play Northwestern, a team that has NIT aspirations this year.
And, once again, Northwestern seemed so near and yet so far from making a breakthrough.
Major lapses in both the first and second half proved to be the demise of the Wildcats, beaten by the Gophers 73-65.
Despite the tendency to self-destruct NU was able to tie the score at 57 with under five minutes to play. But down the stretch Minnesota coach Clem Haskins had the horses.
In winning its Big 10 opener the nation’s 18th-ranked team improved its overall record to 10-3. The Wildcats lost their second straight conference game after nine consecutive nonconference victories.
Northwestern took the initiative, scoring the game’s first four points on an outside jump shot by Dewey Williams and a medium-range jumper by Kip Kirkpatrick.
The Wildcats proceeded to build up an 18-10 lead.
Williams, Kirkpatrick and Todd Leslie each tallied four points, Matt Purdy sank a three-point shot, Patrick Baldwin hit a layup after NU broke the press and Kevin Rankin made a free throw.
Jayson Walton scored four of Minnesota’s points during this time-frame on a putback and a spin move. Ernest Nzigamasabo got three when he converted the free throw after being fouled in the act of scoring, and Voshon Lenard hit a three-point shot.
After Lenard’s trifecta, the Wildcats scored six points in a row. But then they caved in, and Minnesota piled on 16 unanswered points to take a 26-18 lead.
Chad Kolander began the onslaught by roving from down low to make a basket from outside. That was followed by a pair of three-pointers by Townsend Orr and Lenard. Orr’s jump shot, Arriel McDonald’s layup off a steal and Lenard’s outside shot completed the devastation.
Baldwin finally got NU back on the scoreboard with a pullup jump shot.
But a basket by Kolander from underneath and Nzigamasabo’s free throw promptly swelled the Gophers’ lead to 29-20.
Rankin scored on the rebound, but Orr’s three-point shot followed and gave the Gophers their biggest lead of the half 32-22.
The Wildcats then staggered back on their feet and scored the half’s final eight points. Williams began the rally by making two free throws. Leslie added a 15-footer, Rankin chipped in with a free-throw and Leslie put in a three-pointer, pulling NU back in contending position.
Neither team shot well in the opening 20 minutes. The Wildcats were .462 from the field, and the Gophers were .406. NU also managed to outrebound the visitors 20-15. But the Wildcats had eight turnovers to Minnesota’s four, and the ballhandling blunders were reflected on the scoreboard.
Rankin’s outside shot tied the score at 32 at the outset of the second half.
Lenard’s drive-in put Minnesota back ahead, but Leslie’s three-pointer shot the Wildcats back in front.
This time the lead was short-lived, thanks to an 11-point run by the Gophers that put NU in a 45-35 hole.
Baldwin’s three-point shot got NU out of its rut and the teams started trading baskets. Carter scored from underneath, Baldwin drove for a basket, Lenard penetrated to score and Kirkpatrick picked up a loose ball and put it in the bucket.
A three-point basket by Purdy moved NU within four points.
But then Minnesota cashed in for a rare four-point play when Orr hit a three-pointer from the corner, was fouled by Baldwin in the process and made the free throw.
It was Baldwin’s fourth foul and he was immediately taken out by coach Ricky Byrdsong with 9:40 remaining and Minnesota leading 53-45.
Northwestern again came back and managed to tie the score at 57 on back-to-back three-pointers by Leslie and Purdy.
Minnesota immediately counterattacked via baskets by Nzigamasabo and McDonald, and this time the Wildcats couldn’t catch up.
