GOPHERS GAMEDAY
5:30 p.m. at Michigan • Crisler Center • FS1, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Gophers (7-1) lost for the first time this season, 75-67 Wednesday against No. 19 Michigan State at Williams Arena. The Spartans were cruising with a 19-point second-half lead when Minnesota used a 26-13 run to cut it to a six-point deficit. Now Ben Johnson's squad will try to regroup to win the program's first game against Michigan in Ann Arbor since 2011. The Wolverines (6-3) dropped from No. 6 in the Associated Press preseason poll out of the top 25 after losses to Seton Hall, Arizona and North Carolina. Juwan Howard's team bounced back with wins against San Diego State and Nebraska in its past two games, making 15 three-pointers in a 102-67 win at Nebraska in Tuesday's Big Ten opener.
Players to watch: Gophers senior forward Eric Curry had a career night Wednesday against the Spartans with 18 points on 9-for-14 shooting, to go with five rebounds and three assists. He has back-to-back double-figure scoring games for the first time in his career, including 12 points in last week's win at Mississippi State. Michigan 7-1 sophomore Hunter Dickinson had a season-low four points in the loss to North Carolina but responded with double-doubles in the past two games, including 23 points and 14 rebounds against San Diego State.
Numbers: The Gophers average just 8.9 turnovers per game, ranking third in the Big Ten and eighth nationally. They had just seven turnovers combined in the past two games.
