Four things learned: Gophers forward Parker Fox’s future, off night for the guards, etc.

Parker Fox tried his best to spark the Gophers men’s basketball team in what could be his final home game, but the group lacked the same sense of urgency.

The sixth-year senior forward had a team-high 14 points against Indiana while hustling and battling all night. His teammates didn’t match that intensity in a 70-58 loss Wednesday to end the home schedule at Williams Arena this season.

“We didn’t play the way we want to play basketball,” Fox said. “We [usually] credit ourselves in playing hard, playing with edge and competing.”

Not the way Fox envisioned his potential farewell to the Barn would turn out. He has one year of eligibility remaining but hasn’t officially decided on returning for a seventh season. Back-to-back knee injuries didn’t stop him from being a well-respected sixth man in the Big Ten this year.

“I’ve had an awesome time here,” Fox said. “I’ve had a lot of great relationships that I’ve made. I’m going to have a tough decision to make with my last year. We’ll see where it takes me.”

Here are four things learned Wednesday in the final regular-season home game for the Gophers (18-12, 9-10 Big Ten):

Ben Johnson’s three starting guards went from their best two games together in the Big Ten to arguably their worst in the span of a week.

In Sunday’s 75-70 win against Penn State, to come from 23 points behind, Elijah Hawkins, Cam Christie, and Mike Mitchell Jr. combined for 48 points, 11 assists and eight steals. That was a game after they had 50 points on 11-for-15 shooting from three-point range in a 105-97 loss at Illinois.

Minnesota’s players overcoming Wednesday’s abysmal shooting effort seemed a dauting task, especially with Hawkins, Christie and Mitchell combining for 8-for-36 shooting from the field (22%), including 4-for-23 from three (17%). Hawkins and Mitchell had 29 points vs. Penn State, but they combined for only 16 points on 6-for-23 shooting Wednesday.

“We’ve got to take pride in something else,” Mitchell said. “Whether it’s defense, driving to the basket or scrapping for loose balls.”

For the second time this season, the Gophers finished the game with more turnovers than assists (18-12). The last time that happened was in a frustrating 73-55 loss Feb. 25 at Nebraska.

Struggling with ball control was an even bigger issue Wednesday against the Hoosiers, who scored 21 points off turnovers and had 19 fast-break points. Indiana committed 14 turnovers but had 28 assists.

Hawkins’ ability to be one of the nation’s leaders in assists while limiting turnovers was a big reason the Gophers still have a chance at an eighth-place finish and .500 league record to end the regular season. But the 5-11 senior wasn’t himself vs. Indiana with only three assists and four turnovers in 40 minutes. Christie also had season-high four turnovers in 38 minutes.

There were more NBA scouts in attendance Wednesday than any U home game this season. They got to see a potential future first-round pick dominate. Indiana’s Kel’el Ware finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 34 minutes. He spearheaded an Indiana team that had 48 points in the paint.

Ware, who shot 12-for-16 from the field and 2-for-3 from three, used his athleticism and 7-6 wingspan to score easily at the basket and over Gophers big men Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne.

Garcia and Payne combined for 20 points, but they shot 9-for-16 from the field and grabbed 17 rebounds (12 by Garcia). Even with Fox also shooting 5-for-5 from the field, the Gophers probably didn’t play through the post enough. Payne was also banged up and played only six minutes in the second half.

The Gophers played without guard Braeden Carrington for the second consecutive game as he recovers from a concussion suffered against Illinois.

Johnson said Carrington’s status is day to day, so he’s likely to be questionable for Saturday’s regular-season finale at Northwestern. A lack of guard depth forced all three starting guards to play 38-plus minutes vs. Indiana.