A mess, then a near miss for the Gophers

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Tubby Smith didn't feel like answering questions after his Gophers played second-ranked Ohio State to the final buzzer in a thrilling 67-64 loss Sunday.

On Minnesota's final possession, senior guard Blake Hoffarber -- the team's best three-point shooter -- curled off a pair of screens, but Ohio State's Dallas Lauderdale stepped out on him and Jon Diebler pressured him.

Point guard Al Nolen dribbled and dribbled and dribbled, but Hoffarber couldn't get open. Guard Austin Hollins ended up with the ball, and the freshman tried to get off a game-tying three-pointer before time expired and William Buford stalked him. Smith thought Hollins was fouled, but there was no call.

The frustration of that play -- and losing three consecutive Big Ten road games, the latest coming after the Gophers (12-4, 1-3 Big Ten) nearly dug out of an 18-point deficit in the second half -- soured Smith after the game.

"The ball was supposed to go in the basket," he said about the design of the last play. "But it was a foul. It was a foul."

Asked about an offense that scored 22 points in the first half, Smith said, "I'm just going to tell them to shoot it when they come across halfcourt. We're not going to pass it anymore because we turn it over. When we catch it, whoever has the ball, just shoot it."

Anything else?

Once the emotions settled, however, players and coaches acknowledged reality. The Gophers didn't lose the game on a perceived no-call.

But a number of plays resembling the frantic final effort that would have sent the contest into overtime voided a commendable comeback against a Buckeyes team that's lost once at Value City Arena since the start of last season.

"We didn't play well enough to win," Smith said. "We just didn't do the things we had to do. We had a chance to tie it at the end, and we've had a few opportunities like that this year and we really haven't finished. We haven't finished."

Before halftime, when the Gophers were down 32-22, forward Trevor Mbakwe gathered his teammates in a hallway.

"Hey! New game, new half. Twenty minutes!" said Mbakwe, who recorded his 10th double-double of the season (16 points and 12 rebounds, both team highs).

For the majority of the afternoon, Ohio State dominated. David Lighty led all scorers with 19 points, accumulated on a variety of explosive layups, jump shots and treys. Freshman prodigy Jared Sullinger struggled against Minnesota's size but ended up with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

But after a Lighty three resulted in a 55-37 edge for the Buckeyes (16-0, 3-0 Big Ten) with 8:31 to go, the Gophers applied full-court pressure and stunned the Buckeyes in the latter's toughest test to date.

After seizing that 18-point lead, the Buckeyes went 1-for-6 from the field. The Gophers outscored them 18-6 inside after halftime.

The Buckeyes missed late free throws (12-for-19 in the second half) and the Gophers were perfect (19-for-19 from the free-throw line after halftime). The impossible suddenly became doable for the Gophers.

"It got a little hectic," Lighty said after the game.

Then the Gophers fouled Lauderdale, who entered Sunday's game shooting 33 percent from the line. The senior center missed both free throws, but the Gophers were just as predictable on their last play.

The worst three-point-shooting team in the conference only has one legitimate perimeter threat, after Devoe Joseph decided to transfer last week. Hoffarber has accounted for nine of the team's 14 three-pointers through four Big Ten games, but the Buckeyes took away that option.

"We had plenty of opportunities to win the game, but the game's not sold on one play," Mbakwe said. "We shouldn't have gotten down by 18 points. It would've been a completely different game."

The Gophers' final sequence summed up their offense: confusion and inconsistency. There were unforced turnovers -- many off shot-clock violations, poor passing and three-seconds calls -- as the Gophers continued to struggle in their halfcourt set. Until they pressed late in the second half, they didn't know how to score.

When Smith took over the team, he emphasized scoring in transition as a result of suffocating teams on defense with fullcourt pressure. But the Gophers rarely utilize the rugged style that helped them return fire against the Buckeyes -- a symptom of limited depth -- despite the problems with their halfcourt offense.