Gophers working to fix breakdowns after the break

Raise your hand if you've heard this story line before: The Gophers men's basketball team comes out sharp and builds an impressive lead. In the second half, that lead it worked to create crumbles just as fast.

It's a theme found in the Gophers' most recent two games, both in the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York. They coughed away a 10-point lead in a loss to St. John's on Wednesday before nearly doing the same in the consolation game two days later, watching a 16-point advantage vs. Georgia dwindle to two.

After charging ahead of the competition early, the second halves of each game featured similar sloppiness: turnovers, fouls, ugly shooting — and big runs by the opponent.

"When they throw that punch, or whenever adversity hits, or something doesn't go our way, or a turnover, or a call we don't like — how do we respond?" coach Richard Pitino said. "I thought we did a better job vs. Georgia because they made a run and we found a way to win the game."

In that one, the Gophers came out on the right end, holding on for a 66-62 victory.

But this tale of two halves — smooth starts, rough finishes — could apply to a handful of games from a season ago, when the Gophers' 8-10 conference record wasn't enough to get the nod from the NCAA tournament selection committee.

Perhaps the two most memorable examples came at Ohio State and at Iowa. In Columbus, the Gophers jumped out to a 12-point lead and maintained a 28-18 advantage at the break but were outscored 46-18 in the second half. In Iowa City, they led by as many as 10 late in the first half, only to be routed in the second, ultimately falling 94-73.

"We come out to great starts, and our opponents go on a run and we don't really handle it too well," senior center Mo Walker said. "But we'll learn from our mistakes, and I think things will pick up."

With another game away from Williams Arena ahead — at Wake Forest on Tuesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge — the Gophers are determined not to make this season one of repeated history.

"I don't even know how it happens," senior point guard DeAndre Mathieu said. "It normally happens so quick. A turnover, on top of another turnover, and we start fouling.

"The guys that have been through it, we have to change that somehow. Our defense lets up or we start fouling. So we've really got to just work on playing without fouling and keeping that consistent throughout the game. I think we also kind of stall and try to let the game end instead of just keeping on."

In the past two days of practice, the Gophers have been focusing on defending cleanly — with coaches blowing whistles to keep players honest. They are doing so in circumstances that aren't ideal.

"The answer is practice," Pitino said. "Different combinations, different rotations, things that guys aren't used to playing. But that's just the reality right now."