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Desperation shot tips U over Indiana, 59-58
Blake Hoffarber caught a fullcourt pass and hit a desperation shot as time expired to win it.
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Follow Myron on TwitterGOPHERS 59, INDIANA 58
Big Ten tournament quarterfinal
Today: Semifinal vs. Illinois, 3:05 p.m., Ch. 4
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As Travis Busch launched the pass the length of the court with 1.5 seconds remaining, any faint chance the Gophers had of reaching the NCAA tournament rested on its accuracy. When Blake Hoffarber caught the pass, turned and hit the shot, the Gophers went from likely NIT team to a squad that's now part of NCAA tourney bubble conversation after earning a 59-58 victory over Indiana in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament Friday.
The same player who won an ESPY when he hit a shot while sitting down in the state high school tournament gave the Gophers an extra chance to earn an NCAA at-large berth and helped Tubby Smith keep his streak of seasons (15) with at least 20 victories.
A pile of Gophers pounced on Hoffarber after the shot, celebrating their victory, while later trying to regroup to take on Illinois in a conference tourney semifinal today.
"It happened in slow motion," said Lawrence Westbrook, who finished with seven points. "I saw the ball in the air and it just kept pausing and pausing ... When Blake hit it, I looked 'cause I was kind of falling backwards, and I saw it go in. I just tackled him. I hope I didn't hurt him."
Big Ten Player of the Year D.J. White shot four free throws in the game's final 10 seconds. He only hit one with 1.5 seconds left, but it was enough to give Indiana 58-57 edge, after Minnesota had led by 16 points earlier in the game.
Hoffarber's shot sealed the game and represented the tenacity of a team that ran out of gas in two losses last week against Indiana and Illinois.
Lawrence McKenzie, who finished with 15 points, said he told the team to stay poised after White hit a free throw to give Indiana the lead.
"I just told all the guys to calm; I really felt like we had a chance to make a shot."
Hoffarber said the shot's worth as much as his ESPY. But on this play, he wasn't supposed to take the final attempt: "I was actually supposed to be the decoy."
Before Thursday's victory over Northwestern, Minnesota seemed to be a step away from not qualifying for the NIT. The victory was even more impressive, considering the hostile atmosphere -- Indiana fans had to travel just a few miles compared with the trek Gophers fans had to make.
Before the game began, Minnesota learned that starting center Spencer Tollackson wouldn't play because of a left ankle sprain. But Jon Williams stepped in nicely.
And they never played like they were missing any pieces, as the Gophers began the game with a 24-8 run and looked like a brand-new team, after taking the lead by shooting just 33.3 percent in the first half. But the team hit all 12 of its free throw attempts.
Then, as expected, Indiana shook off the rust, and played to its strengths, while Minnesota gradually squandered its 16-point lead -- imitating Northwestern's loss Thursday, after the Wildcats led Minnesota by 16 late in the first half. The team took a 34-27 lead into halftime.
Instead of building on its lead in the second segment, the Gophers began the half with six consecutive turnovers and zero points, while D.J. White scored Indiana's first seven points in the second half and tied the score at 34-34.
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