3:12VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Gophers men's basketball team boosted its NCAA tournament résumé in a big way Wednesday thanks to a last-second, game-winning shot from a freshman who is already making a habit of hitting big shots.
Washington, a preseason top-25 team, controlled the Vancouver Showcase title game from the outset with its stifling 2-3 zone defense. The Gophers, though, made some late-game adjustments and eked out a 68-66 victory on a three-pointer from Gabe Kalscheur with 2.1 seconds left at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The play could have been a highlight from the Big Dance if this were late March instead of November.
"That was insane," senior forward Jordan Murphy said. "That was something you typically see in March Madness or something."
Less than 24 hours after scoring 25 points (including seven three-pointers) in an 80-66 victory over Santa Clara on Tuesday, Kalscheur threw up a high-arching, off-balance shot from beyond the arc with a defender in his face that dropped through the net to improve the Gophers to 5-0 and help them go undefeated in their first road trip of the season.
"What we wanted to do was that; we wanted to put our best shooter in the corner," Gophers coach Richard Pitino said. "Obviously, the way that he shot it, I don't think I envisioned that. He's a great kid. He deserves success."
David Crisp's free throw temporarily halted Minnesota's late surge to give the Huskies a 66-65 lead with 1:09 to play, but junior guard Amir Coffey drew a charge on Washington's Jaylen Nowell with 13 seconds left to give his team one last possession in regulation.
Pitino's plan was to give sophomore guard Isaiah Washington a drive opportunity from the top of the key on a pick-and-roll play. Kalscheur was also an option spotting up on the right side. Washington was cut off after the screen, so he quickly swung the ball.
