Gophers run out of upsets, end season with 70-54 loss to Maryland in Big Ten tournament

CHICAGO – Upsets were the theme on the first two days of the Big Ten tournament at the United Center.

The first five games of the tourney were won by the lower seeds for the first time ever, but the 14th-seeded Gophers couldn't extend that streak against sixth-seeded Maryland in a 70-54 loss Thursday night to end their season.

The Gophers (9-22) were the biggest underdog in the tournament. They took down No. 11 seed Nebraska with a 78-75 win Wednesday but on Thursday dropped to 0-10 vs. Maryland since 2017.

There would be no postseason run for second-year Gophers coach Ben Johnson in Chicago, but he finished a difficult season knowing he has a core to build around next year.

"We definitely have some pieces that we're all excited about," Johnson said. "Offseason, we're going to attack it and definitely use this year as motivation. It's good to have guys back finally."

The Gophers' Pharrel Payne had a team-high 17 points and didn't miss a shot — making all six of his shots from the field and all five of his free throws — and grabbed nine rebounds. Fellow freshman Braeden Carrington also finished with 12 points, but the Gophers couldn't overcome 15 turnovers and struggles from their upperclassmen.

"We had our ups and downs, but just feel like we stuck with it," Carrington said. "Just tough to go out this way, but to have this core group of freshmen for the next couple years is definitely exciting."

The Terrapins (21-11), who advanced to play Indiana on Friday in the quarterfinals, were led by Donta Scott, who had 16 of his 20 points in the first half. They put the clamps on Minnesota's top three scorers, Dawson Garcia, Jamison Battle and Ta'Lon Cooper, who combined for just 13 points on 4-for-20 shooting.

A 2-17 Gophers team in the Big Ten had been playing better with Johnson getting the most out of injury-plagued and youthful group to end a 12-game losing streak last week with a buzzer-beating 75-74 victory against Rutgers at home.

Garcia's late-season growth into a go-to guy before Thursday was a positive sign for next year, especially since he's the only veteran starter expected to return. Cooper and Battle are likely moving on. They were able to extend their time with the Gophers for one night.

Cooper, who set a Big Ten tournament team record with 12 assists Wednesday, reached a milestone with his 600th career assist in the first half Thursday. But Maryland made his life difficult with constant traps and an aggressive full-court press.

The Gophers were able to beat Nebraska despite 15 turnovers in the opening round, but they shot 52% from the field, hit 10 threes and had a season-high 25 assists. The offense didn't run as smoothly Thursday against a stout Maryland defense.

Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Carrington made it a freshmen-led 8-0 run in the first half to take an early 10-8 lead, but that was the rare rally for the Gophers. Youth wouldn't be enough to sustain the momentum.

In the second half, the Gophers got into foul trouble, too. Ola-Joseph and Henley both sat with four fouls with 16-plus minutes remaining. Henley eventually fouled out. Garcia was called for his fourth foul around the 14-minute mark. So Payne and Carrington tried to keep their team in the game without many other scoring options available.

Maryland extended its lead to 41-26 early in the second half, but the Gophers went on an 11-4 run capped to make it 45-37. Carrington hit back-to-back threes, but the Terps were determined to get the tourney's first victory for a higher seed.

Payne made it the 10th time this year the Gophers were led by a freshman in scoring. In comparison, freshmen didn't lead the team once with a senior-laden squad in 2021-22, so there could be hope for a bigger jump with this returning group next season.

"I feel like we have a lot to build on," Payne said. "The four freshmen and how we go into next year with a lot of experience. From here things will get better."