Minnesota defeats Ohio State 70-67

Minnesota defeated Ohio State 70-67 to win its first conference game of the season. Dawson Garcia had a career night with 28 points.

First things first, yeah that was a block not a foul at the end. Then again, if the Gophers were just a mediocre team from the line they would have won by four possessions.

No matter though because the team that played better for 40 minutes won the game. The Gophers held the most efficient offense in the country to 42% eFG. The two best players on the Buckeyes went 10-30 from the field. The Gophers’ defense was astonishingly good for much of the game, holding Ohio State to extended droughts in both the first and second half.

Dawson Garcia had a monster performance, not just the 28 points, but also the 9 rebounds, several assists and a steal. Jamison Battle had a 80% Jamison Battle performance thanks to 1-6 from distance. Still, he started the game hot and made key plays on offense throughout. Most importantly, Battle had a clutch block late to keep the Gophers in the lead.

Notes

The All-Access broadcast was the coolest basketball broadcast I have watched. Ever. Can we please do it every single game? I learned so much as a fan about the game on the court and in the huddle. Equally important, I did not need to listen to pablum from the announcers. Instead, the analyst (Casey Jacobsen) simply translated what was going on from the coaches. Everyone wins.

Make a free throw. Truly 9-16 from the field is not going to get it done most nights. 12-16 and there is no sweating.

CBJ said that the game was not about offense over the last four minutes, which is good because the Gophers did not make a field goal from the field for the last five minutes. I hate to disagree with the head coach, however I think the game is a little about offense.