After Purdue ruined any chance of the heavily anticipated Crimson/Gold Cup slugfest by choking against Illinois, IU took the court hoping for a clear and easy path to the Finals.
But Having their ambitiious fingers greased by the sweaty nerves of Dan Dakich, the Hoosiers started Friday night's game with the ball handling ability of the 1992 Indianapolis Colts. They trailed the Gophers by nearly twenty within the first ten minutes, and worse, were in foul trouble and couldn't get a rebound to save Dakich's hairline.
However, after 14 minutes of shameful patty-cake, IU started to rebound, and rejuvinated crimson fire in their guts. Behind Kyle Taber, DeAndre White, and an eager hometown crowd the Hoosiers rallied a fistful of second chance points and turnovers to tighten the gap to seven by halftime.
In the second half IU chipped away at the lead steadily, until a pair of free throws by the Big Ten Player of the Year D.J. White got them over the hump, and IU took its first lead of the tournament with a quarter of a basketball game left to manage.
The teams traded sparse baskets to the finish-- it would have been a blowout if Gordon wasn't shooting kickballs at the basket. He ultimately shot 0-6 on 3's, and his uninspired, lofty shooting kept Minnesota in the game.
After Gordon missed the back end of his foul shots, Minnesota inbounded with a chance to put the game away, leading by two, less than twenty seconds in their season-- unless they could hold on. A blocked shot and mad fumbling dash for the loose ball led to an Indiana posession, the inbounds pass came to Eric Gordon. He drove the length of the court, and got fouled on a layup attempt. Two free throws would tie the game at 57.
His struggles continued, and he clunked the first shot. With only three seconds left, his only choice was to intentionally drive the ball off the back of the rim, and pray for an offensive rebound-- and exactly that happened. Who else but DJ picked up the pieces, and with a hard fought fight toward the rim, drew a whistle and dropped the bucket for a tie game and chance to lead. He missed the extra point, but got fouled again going after his own rebound, and went back to the line.
He missed again. But the second fell through the net, and only a Hail Mary miracle pass with 1.3 seconds left could keep the Gopher's season alive. The ball would have to traverse the length of the court into the sure hands of a Minnesota witch-doctor, and be carelessly dropped through the net in a singular, heavy-hearted second. Only with the divine intervention of the virgin mother herself could their season be saved.
The air was sucked out of Conseco Fieldhouse in an air-tight vaccum.
Minnesota, it would seem, said their Hail Mary's on Thursday night.
Minnesota: 59
Indiana: 58
Me: Deceased.
