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Tenacious road rally lifts U over Hawkeyes

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The Gophers, trailing by six at halftime, got some crucial baskets by reserve Travis Busch for an important Big Ten victory.

By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune

Last update: January 8, 2009 - 11:46 PM

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NO. 22 GOPHERS 52, IOWA 49

Up next: vs. Penn State

2:30 p.m. Sunday • Williams Arena

TV: Big Ten Network (830-AM)

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IOWA CITY — When the Gophers needed a big shot Thursday at Iowa -- and they needed a lot of them after playing their worst first half in two seasons under coach Tubby Smith -- the team looked to its bench, which has found a way to play a big role in key games this season.

After overcoming a 13-point deficit in the first half, Gophers reserves scored 16 of the team's final 28 points in a 52-49 victory in No. 22 Minnesota's first Big Ten road game.

The 52 points were the Gophers' lowest total in a Big Ten road victory since beating Wisconsin 49-48 in 1992.

The Gophers (14-1, 2-1 Big Ten) also made seven of 10 free throws in the final 11 minutes, 21 seconds of the game and held Iowa (11-5, 1-2), the Big Ten's top three-point shooting team, to 28.6 percent from beyond the arc in the second half.

"We couldn't stop them off the dribble, and we tried to make some adjustments and it worked for us tonight," Smith said. "Tough time shooting the ball, but any time you can get a win on the road in this league, it's a good win."

After the Gophers were down 26-20 at halftime -- their lowest first-half output in a game under Smith -- they suddenly found themselves clawing at Iowa's lead. Helping Minnesota's comeback was an ankle injury to Iowa's Cyrus Tate, a 6-8, 255-pound forward who had limited the Gophers' interior offense early. He left the game eight minutes into the contest and never returned.

Devron Bostick tied the score at 31-31 with a pair of free throws midway through the second half. Paul Carter's deep two-pointer with 10:16 to play gave Minnesota its first lead since the Gophers led 8-7 at the start of the game.

On Minnesota's next possession, Bostick missed a long three-pointer, but Blake Hoffarber tapped the rebound toward Travis Busch, who hit a three and gave the Gophers a 36-33 lead with 9:16 to go.

Then, with Iowa rallying late, Busch grabbed Al Nolen's rebound and put it back on a layup at the 4:20 mark, increasing Minnesota's lead to seven.

Busch's biggest shot of the night came with Minnesota maintaining a two-point lead with just under a minute to play. With an announced crowd of 9,663 roaring, the junior forward extended the Gophers' edge to four with a driving layup.

Lawrence Westbrook knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the victory, after Iowa's Jeff Peterson -- who led all scorers with 16 points -- hit what proved to be a too-little, too-late three-pointer with 5.3 seconds left.

"We were down big, but the guys who came in off of the bench gave us a spark," Westbrook said. "They basically kept us in the game, then we were able to finish it out, so I think we played hard tonight."

Not only did the Gophers win their first league road game, but they avoided a 1-2 start in Big Ten play with a home game against a tough Penn State team Sunday. They also showed they are able to adapt to adverse situations, something they will continue to encounter in the Big Ten.

"We're on the road," said Busch, who tied Westbrook with a team-leading 10 points. "There's no one here cheering for us, so we had to do it from within."

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