Gophers, minus three suspended guards, fade in 84-71 loss at Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – The Gophers couldn't adjust to the last-minute changes coach Richard Pitino made before their road game against Illinois.

Pitino announced less than an hour before the game that the team would be without three of its top six scorers, suspended because they broke team rules. The remaining players were motivated and played well in the first half, but the lack of depth and hot Illinois shooting caught up in the second half of the Gophers' 84-71 loss.

"A very challenging game to coach," Pitino said. "We played six guys. … We had to adjust to the situation; it was challenging. I thought we showed great fight and great heart."

Pitino announced before the game that sophomore Nate Mason and freshmen Kevin Dorsey and Dupree McBrayer would not play against the Illini. Pitino did not say what rule was broken.

Minnesota lost Mason, its leading scorer and assist man and two-fifths of its starting lineup and had just seven available players.

Jordan Murphy — who led the team in scoring with 22 points — led the Gophers to a quick start. Minnesota made its first three three-point attempts — one from Murphy — and led 11-6 five minutes into the game. The freshman forward scored 11 points and pulled down three rebounds in the first seven minutes.

Murphy continued to dominate in the first half against Illinois' zone defense. The Illini put their top player — junior guard Malcolm Hill — on Murphy, but Murphy finished the first half with 17 points and eight rebounds and helped the Gophers take a 40-32 lead.

The lack of manpower proved to be too much in the second half. Illinois came out of the break with a 26-6 run and a 54-48 lead with a little more than 10 minutes left in the game. The Gophers were forced to use players at positions unfamiliar to them. Stephon Sharp, who scored 19 points, played point guard for the first time.

The Gophers were outscored 52-31 in the second half thanks in part to Illinois' junior duo of Hill and Kendrick Nunn and the shooting of Jalen Coleman-Lands — Hill and Nunn outscored the Gophers 33-31 in the second half.

"In that situation, I was really happy with the effort," Gophers senior forward Joey King said. "We kept on fighting. Even though the guys were playing out of position, they continued to work and everyone played together. It was an overall great team effort in the first half."

Pitino wanted his players to know that wins and losses aren't all that matter in college sports.

"Culture and doing what's right is extremely important to myself and my staff," Pitino said after the game. "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have. … We're going to do things the right way. Tonight wasn't about wins and losses; it was so our guys understand that things are bigger than basketball. We're going to do what we believe in is right."