The Gophers men’s basketball team suffered another narrow loss in a season full of them.
David Coit hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 26 seconds left, and Maryland scored the game’s final seven points in a 67-62 victory over the Gophers at Williams Arena on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The loss was the Gophers’ eighth in nine games, and all eight losses have been close in the second half. The Gophers (11-13, 4-9 Big Ten) were coming off an upset of No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday, Feb. 4, but couldn’t make it back-to-back victories at home.
In this one, they led 53-47 in the second half, only to go scoreless for the next 5½ minutes. That drought ended when Isaac Asuma hit a three-pointer to put the Gophers up 57-54. That lead grew to 60-56 on the next possession when Jaylen Crocker-Johnson hit a three with the shot clock winding down.
Maryland (9-14, 2-10) tied it at 60-60 when Coit blew past defender Bobby Durkin and made a layup. At the other end, Cade Tyson was fouled with 53.5 seconds left and made two free throws to put his team up 62-60, but those were the final points of the game for the Gophers.
Terrapins coach Buzz Williams called a timeout with 31.4 seconds left and the shot clock at seven seconds. Coming out of the timeout, Coit got Langston Reynolds in the air beyond the three-point arc, then hit a step-back three to put Maryland up 63-62.
