WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In his fourth season as Gophers men's basketball coach, Richard Pitino never had beaten a team on the road ranked higher than Purdue (then No. 15).
That should settle the debate as to whether it was Pitino's biggest victory, right?
The Gophers did upset No. 5 Maryland last season at home for their first Big Ten victory, ending a 14-game losing streak. Two seasons ago, they won at Michigan State for the first time since their 1997 Final Four season. They upset No. 9 Wisconsin at Williams Arena in Pitino's first season in 2013-14.
Pitino wouldn't say where Sunday's 91-82 overtime victory over the Boilermakers ranks for him, but he realized how special it was after what the Gophers went through last season, going 2-16 in the conference, including 0-9 on the road.
"I don't even know when the last time we won here was," he said before being told it was 2005. "To find a way to breakthrough on the road, in a great environment against a terrifically coached team with some really good players means a lot."
Nate Mason was named Big Ten co-player of the week Monday, along with Nebraska's Tai Webster, following the Gophers junior guard's career-high 31 points and 11 assists Sunday. Mason said the Purdue victory was important for his younger teammates, because they took it hard after Tuesday's Big Ten-opening 75-74 overtime home loss to Michigan State.
"It's a big win," said Mason, the first player in Gophers history to have 30 points and 10 assists in a game. "Not only to me but to my young guys. For [freshman] Eric Curry, it probably gave him a lot of confidence right now. It was definitely big for all of us going into the next game. We just have to get over this win; not get too high and focus on scouting for the next game."
Curry, who had seven of his 10 points in overtime, said he believed Sunday was a breakthrough game for him offensively. His roommate and fellow freshman Amir Coffey has received most of the attention this season, but the 6-9 Curry has high expectations for himself.
