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Gophers throw another one away

Seven three-point baskets by freshman guard Devoe Joseph couldn't offset another turnover-filled outing by the Gophers, this one at Penn State.

By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune

Last update: February 15, 2009 - 12:03 PM

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PENN STATE 68, GOPHERS 63 Up next: 6 p.m. Thursday at Michigan • Big Ten Network (830-AM)

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STATE COLLEGE, PA. - The Gophers bandwagon broke down in a remote part of Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Their NCAA men's basketball tournament hopes took a major hit, too, after a 68-63 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Five losses in eight games, including three in a row on the road, have blemished their once-sexy résumé.

Even with a team-record-tying seven three-pointers from Devoe Joseph, the Gophers couldn't overcome ongoing ballhandling problems that threaten to halt their postseason aspirations.

For the fourth consecutive game, the Gophers (19-6, 7-6 Big Ten) had more turnovers (19) than assists (seven). Another sign of their regression: The Gophers beat Penn State by 20 on Jan. 11 at home.

"I thought we had a pretty good ballhandling team, but obviously we don't," Gophers coach Tubby Smith said.

Still, Joseph put on one of the best shooting displays in school history, with seven threes on eight attempts. "I just got into a zone and just started playing with confidence and shooting the ball with confidence," said Joseph, who scored a game-high 23 points. "I just felt like everything was going to go in."

However, he also had two turnovers in the final three minutes, costing the Gophers five points late in a matchup that featured 16 lead changes.

Smith said Joseph's overall performance was a positive. "We found somebody who wanted to step up and do some things," he said.

Lawrence Westbrook, the Gophers' top scorer this season, had four points, and their No. 2 scorer, Damian Johnson, went 0-for-4 and scored all five of his points on free throws before fouling out.

Guards Talor Battle (21 points) and Stanley Pringle (13 points) sparked a 17-7 second-half run that put the Nittany Lions up 41-32 with 13 minutes, 48 seconds left.

But Joseph answered with three-pointers on three of his team's next four possessions. He tied the score at 48-48 with 8:44 to play on his third three-pointer in a row.

Joseph followed with threes to break ties of 50-50 and 53-53, and the Gophers held their three-point lead when Joseph was whistled for a traveling violation with 2:52 to play. Battle followed with a tying three, energizing the announced Bryce Jordan Center crowd of 12,148.

Penn State (18-8, 7-6) -- which came in averaging 47.3 points per game during a three-game losing streak -- took a 58-56 lead when David Jackson hit two free throws after getting fouled by Colton Iverson with 1:43 left. On a crossover dribble during the Gophers' next possession, Joseph lost the ball, and Battle scored on a fast break with 57.5 seconds remaining.

The Gophers tried to foul their way back into the game, but that didn't work.

"They did the things they hadn't done in a few games and we continued to do the things that we couldn't do, and that's [not] taking care of the ball and making some clutch plays in the stretch," Smith said. "We didn't get the stops we needed to get, and this is what you get."

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