Gophers at a glance: Minnesota's dwindling NCAA tournament hopes rest on whether it is able to pull out a win against Penn State in their regular-season finale. Without that victory, one or two wins in the Big Ten tournament likely won't matter. It won't be a cakewalk — the Gophers (18-12, 7-10) barely slid out of State College with a win back in January, and the Nittany Lions have only gotten better. Austin Hollins has scored 43 points in the last two games after failing to score more than eight in four of the previous five. Minnesota has shot 52.2 percent from the field or better in the second half of its past two games.
Penn State at a glance: The Nittany Lions (15-15, 6-11) are playing about as well as they have all season, winning two of their last three. They have held opponents to just 25.9 percent from behind the arc in their last three games. D.J. Newbill has led the team in scoring in each of those games, totaling 58 points. The Nittany Lions have more Big Ten road wins than the Gophers this season with three — which ties a program high.
Amelia Rayno
