Hoosiers upset No.18 Minnesota 60-57

As the missed shot caromed off the rim, he ran in a full sprint toward the hoop. He jumped in mid-air, grabbed the ball with one hand and slammed it through with authority.

IU junior forward Tom Pritchard’s dunk midway through the first half brought the Assembly Hall crowd to its feet.

It also gave his team the energy it needed to defeat No. 18 Minnesota, 60-57, Wednesday at Assembly Hall.

“He did a Space Jam, Michael Jordan reach back and caught it,” IU junior guard Verdell Jones said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was going crazy. It was beautiful to see.”

And while Pritchard’s jam provided the spark, Jones provided the decisive basket.

With 2:02 remaining in the game and the shot clock winding down, IU sophomore guard Jordan Hulls found Jones open in the right corner. Jones received the pass and proceeded to knock down the eventual game-winning shot.

Jones, who played his first game since Jan. 20 against Wisconsin due to knee inflammation, said he was glad he could do what he could for the team.

“I saw the guard running out late and the shot clock running down,” Jones said. “I’ve been working on my three-point ball because I can’t move in
practice. It paid off.”

The Hoosiers, who led most of the game and at one moment led by 16 points, allowed the Gophers to creep back late in the second half.  

With 3:25 remaining in the contest, Minnesota capped off a 19-5 run to cut the deficit to only two points at 55-53.  

But thanks to two free throws and the aforementioned three-pointer by Jones, IU had the lead down to the final possession.

Minnesota had a chance to tie with five seconds remaining, but tough defense from the Hoosiers forced Gopher guard Blake Hoffarber to take an off-balance shot that he missed.

“Dan Moore wanted the matchup and I gave it to him,” Crean said of his junior guard. “We knew one way or another (Hoffarber) was coming off a screen or he was going to inbound and they were going to find him. That’s exactly what they did and our guys played it excellent.”

The victory marked the second win for IU against a ranked opponent in its last three games.

Much of that success, particularly in this game, could be credited to the improved play of Pritchard. He finished Wednesday with a season-high 12 points along with seven rebounds.

Crean said the Pritchard they typically see in practice was finally shown to the crowd at Assembly Hall.  

Pritchard said he was glad he could be a key contributor in the victory against Minnesota.    

“I really want to come out and be aggressive each game,” Pritchard said. “Anything I can do — offensive rebounds, solid defense — that helps our team I want to do. The ball seemed to bounce my way tonight so hopefully I can continue that.”