Brief lead fades for Gophers women's basketball in loss to Indiana

So often this season the Gophers women's basketball team has played well at one end of the court only to falter on the other.

In losses to Michigan and at Ohio State, the Gophers couldn't get stops; in a 12-point loss at Michigan State on Monday, they struggled to score.

On Saturday at Williams Arena, against 24th-ranked Indiana, it was the defense again that led to a fourth straight loss.

A series of comebacks — including one that briefly put the Gophers ahead early in the fourth quarter — came up short in a 75-69 loss.

The Gophers could not get stops when they needed them.

"That's what it takes to win games,'' Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen said. "You have to dig in and get that stop. That one stop. Give Indiana credit. It's a tough team. A Top 25 team. They know how to execute, and they got the job done.''

Ali Patberg scored 25 of her 29 points in the first half for Indiana (21-7, 11-5 Big Ten), and backcourt mate Grace Berger scored 14 of her 18 in the second.

Indiana scored 36 points in the paint, shot 51% and still managed to score after the Gophers figured out a way to slow Patberg.

Jasmine Powell led the Gophers (15-12, 5-11) with 21 points and Jasmine Brunson had 14.

With the Gophers down four entering the fourth quarter, Brunson willed her team to a brief lead.

She scored, hit two free throws and scored again during a 6-2 run. After a Hoosiers basket, Brunson kicked the ball to the corner to Sara Scalia, who hit a three to put the Gophers up 62-61 with 7:28 left.

That change in momentum lasted just 20 seconds.

Berger scored on a layup. After Scalia missed a three-pointer, Berger scored again.

Taiye Bello hit one of two free throws with 6:15 left to pull the Gophers within two, but that was as close as they got.

Gadiva Hubbard scored 11 points for the Gophers and had primary responsibility for cooling down Patberg in the second half. The Gophers shot just 37.3% but were in the game late because of a 17-8 edge in points from the free-throw line and their 8-for-17 shooting on three-pointers.

It doesn't get any easier for Minnesota, which has two losing streaks of four games or longer in Big Ten play this season. It plays at No. 19 Iowa on Thursday, then finishes the regular season at home against seventh-ranked Maryland on March 1.