Common knowledge says the team that leads for the first 38:42 of a 40-minute game will win.
Then again, things don’t go so well for the team that turns the ball over three times in the final two ?minutes.
IU (12-5, 2-4) was both of those teams as it lost 65-61 to No. 23 Minnesota (16-2, 5-1) Sunday in Minneapolis.
Things were looking good for the Hoosiers when they held a 59-54 lead with 2:52 remaining. Minnesota’s Carlie Wagner then hit one of three eventual 3-pointers to bring the lead down to two.
On the next possession, sophomore guard Larryn Brooks got caught in a trap near half-court and blindly threw a pass across the court and out of bounds that was intended for sophomore guard Alexis Gassion.
But it was not time for IU to panic. It still had the lead.
Wagner missed a mid-range jumper, but IU was unable to take control of the rebound despite being in good position. Wagner went on to hit another 3-pointer, giving Minnesota its first lead of the game at 60-59 with 1:18 to go.
The Hoosier team that Minnesota Coach Marlene Stollings earlier yelled was “too comfortable in our gym,” was no longer in ?control.
Sophomore center Jenn Anderson’s layup over Minnesota center Amanda Zahui B. gave IU its lead back, but not for long.
On an inbounds pass with 40 seconds left, ?freshman forward Amanda Cahill telegraphed the ball to freshman guard Tyra Buss. It was stolen by Minnesota. Wagner went on to make yet another clutch basket to give Minnesota a 62-61 lead.
There were 37 seconds left for IU.
Gassion got the ball at the top of the key and had a good look at Cahill inside. She tossed a lob pass to the forward and it seemed Cahill had separation, but the pass was overthrown and went out of bounds.
Three turnovers in less than two minutes.
Two Zahui B. free throws and a missed Brooks three later, and IU was at the point of no return.
IU was unable to win despite being in control for the majority of the game.
Despite playing in 17 games, this was only IU’s second close game of the season. The other was a similarly scored 65-61 overtime loss to Indiana State on Nov. 30.
Wagner, a freshman, played the hero for ?Minnesota. With the game on the line, IU did not have that same player to turn to in the game’s closing minutes. IU Coach Teri Moren said her team has plenty of freshmen who could be that type ?of player.
“I need them to have that aggression that Wagner has,” Moren said. “I think she’s a kid who thinks everything she puts up is going in.”
Minnesota turned the ball over 20 times and gave the Hoosiers opportunities to win. IU had seven less turnovers, but it was the three turnovers in crunch time that made the ?difference.
“We didn’t execute,” Moren said. “I don’t know if they just had a moment where they all of a sudden forgot what they were supposed to do ... we just didn’t execute.”
