Gameday preview: Gophers, Northwestern both need a victory Wednesday
January 10, 2018 at 2:41AM
Two teams in need of a victory
Preview: The Gophers (13-4, 2-2 Big Ten) saw their five-game winning streak end Saturday in a 75-71 home loss to Indiana. Gophers coach Richard Pitino said he will cut down on the number of plays while mixing and matching different lineups trying to replace suspended C Reggie Lynch and injured G Amir Coffey (shoulder). Both starters will miss their second consecutive game Wednesday. Northwestern (10-7, 1-3) is coming off a 78-63 loss at Penn State. The Wildcats have lost three of their past four games, including blowouts against Oklahoma 104-78 and Nebraska 70-55. They are playing their home games this season at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., because of renovation to Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Players to watch: Gophers G Nate Mason is averaging 21.2 points and 6.3 assists in four Big Ten games this season. Mason (ankle) and Northwestern G Bryant McIntosh (knee) avoided major injuries last month to return after missing only one game. McIntosh came back last Friday to score 18 points against Penn State.
Numbers: Gophers junior F Jordan Murphy needs one more double-double to surpass Tim Duncan's 17-game streak to start the season in 1997.
MARCUS FULLER
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Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.
