Badgers force Gophers to swallow bitter pill

MINNEAPOLIS It took everything Minnesota had just to get to overtime. Once the Gophers got there, they had nothing left.Minnesota reeled off a 10-0 run at the end of regulation Thursday to draw even with visiting Wisconsin. But it was the rival Badgers who pulled away in overtime, silencing the once-raucous Williams Arena crowd en route to a 68-61 win over the Gophers.Given the big comeback it took, Thursday's seven-point loss stung even more for Minnesota."It showed our fight that we have in this young team. It shows we're not going to back down no matter how much we're down by," said Gophers forward Rodney Williams. "But it definitely hurts a lot more because we had two shots at the bucket at the end of regulation. And it's Wisconsin. You never want to lose to them."Minnesota indeed had a chance to steal this one despite trailing by as many as 13 and by 10 with 7:43 to play in regulation. After the Gophers got the ball back with 28.6 seconds left and the score tied, they had not one but two shots at the win. But freshman Andre Hollins' jumper was well-contested by Badgers senior guard Jordan Taylor, and Austin Hollins' desperation shot at the buzzer didn't fall."I'm very, highly upset with myself," said Andre Hollins, when asked about his late-game shot. "That's going to haunt me for a while."While some may argue Wisconsin blew a double-digit lead UW shot just 28 percent from the field in the second half Badgers coach Bo Ryan gave credit to the Gophers' ability to climb back late."I think what Minnesota did was they cut the deficit. They hit some tough shots," Ryan said. "They stepped up their defense, and they really got into us."The Gophers said they weren't gassed in overtime after their 10-point rally. Taylor agreed. If anything, the rally gave Minnesota and its fans an emotional boost. The once-lifeless Barn was rocking in the final minutes of regulation as Gophers fans watched their team claw back from a double-digit deficit.But whatever it was, Minnesota fell flat after its impressive comeback."I don't think it was a matter of us being tired or not," said Andre Hollins, who finished with a career-high 20 points." We just didn't execute at all down the stretch. We were kind of sloppy. But I like that we fought hard, we fought back."The Gophers didn't score in overtime until a layup by Williams with 1:21 remaining. His shot brought Minnesota to within 57-53. But Taylor, a Bloomington, Minn., native, scored seven of his game-high 27 points in overtime to keep the Gophers at bay. Wisconsin also shot 15-of-17 from the free throw line in overtime. By comparison, Minnesota attempted just 14 free throws all night."They just made shots and we didn't," Gophers coach Tubby Smith said bluntly.With Thursday's overtime loss, the Gophers have now dropped two of their last three games as they prepare to host Big Ten power Ohio State on Valentine's Day. The schedule gets a bit easier after that but not much. Minnesota must face No. 11 Michigan State at home and travel to Madison to play these same Badgers one more time on Feb. 28. The Gophers also have a road game at Northwestern and host No. 23 Indiana and Nebraska."We can't afford look ahead. We can't afford to do anything except look at what we've got to get done tonight and tomorrow," Smith said after the loss. "To lose this one at home, it does put you back on your heels. But you've got to maintain your composure and maintain your poise and keep persevering. These types of games will take the wind out of your sails."This was a win that was certainly within the Gophers' grasp, and one Minnesota desperately needed. Prior to Thursday's tilt, the Gophers were 17-7 but just 5-6 in the Big Ten after an 0-4 start in conference play. They're now two games under .500 in the Big Ten with six games remaining.While 20 wins doesn't necessarily guarantee a bid to the NCAA Tournament, it's a good benchmark. After Thursday's game slipped away, Minnesota has its work cut out in the final month of the season to get to 20 victories."I don't think this was a down game for us. I think it shows what we can do," Andre Hollins said. "I think we need to head into the Ohio State game with some momentum and turn this Big Ten season around and get over .500, win some games. That's what we're focusing on."Added Williams: "This was definitely a big one. But from here on out, all of them are definitely big, no matter who we play. We've got to let this one go. There's nothing we can do about it." Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter.