Seconds into the fourth quarter Sunday at Illinois, Mara Braun elevated and let a three-point shot go.
It was nothing but net, and the Gophers led by seven points.
But an Illini defender didn’t give Braun room to land. Braun came down and rolled her foot. Shortly thereafter, she left the game. Not long after that, the Gophers’ lead was gone for good.
Minnesota lost 73-68. The Gophers (14-6, 4-5 Big Ten) have now lost consecutive games to second-division Big Ten teams, Wisconsin and Illinois, both on the road.
“We worked hard and competed,” Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “But the bottom line was, they were able to get to the rim any way they wanted to in the second half.”
Did Braun’s absence mean a seismic shift in a game the Gophers led by as many as 11 points as late as the final three minutes of the third quarter?
No question.
Illinois (9-10, 3-6) outscored Minnesota 19-5 over the next seven-plus minutes to go up seven on Genesis Bryant’s hoop with 2:11 left. From the moment Braun hit her final shot, the Gophers were outscored 23-11.