Northwestern hands Gophers third straight loss

Being an NCAA tournament bubble team is nothing new for Minnesota and Northwestern. The two teams have made a recent habit of producing disappointing seasons, and thus, each has faced late-season games on which their tournament hopes have rested.

On Saturday in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern played like a team with its season on the line.

The Gophers played like a team that had given up on the latest disappointing season under Tubby Smith's tenure.

Minnesota (5-9 Big Ten) committed 21 turnovers in a 64-53 defeat to the Wildcats (6-8) -- the Gophers' third consecutive loss and fourth in five games.

Northwestern stifled Minnesota with its 1-3-1 trap zone while executing a smooth, perimeter-oriented offense throughout the game.

"We had a tough time attacking the 1-3-1," Smith said. "It was because of their defense that [they] gave us all kinds of problems."

The Wildcats made 10 shots from long range, including four from Dave Sobolewski, who led all scorers with 22 points.

John Shurna made three 3-pointers and had 18 points, passing Billy McKinney to become Northwestern's all-time leading scorer with 1,902 points.

Despite its 41-20 rebounding advantage, the Gophers lacked aggression for most of the game. They forced just 10 Wildcats turnovers and had only four points in transition.

It was a stark contrast from Minnesota's 75-52 home win against Northwestern a month ago, when it dominated the Wildcats in every facet of the game.

The Gophers' Julian Welch had a team-high 21 points on 5-for-10 shooting from deep, but his teammates were 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Minnesota had little luck in the paint either, as it missed multiple layups from point-blank range and committed several offensive fouls.

The loss puts a serious damper in the Gophers' NCAA tournament chances. To make the tournament, Minnesota would likely have to win three of its last four Big Ten games or win the Big Ten tournament.