The NIT didn't end the way that the Minnesota Golden Gophers were hoping, getting creamed by the Stanford Cardinal in the championship game after a fantastic run to get to the final. The final score was 75-51 and the scoreline didn't flatter Stanford, who simply outplayed the Gophers the entire game to the point where it was really no contest. Minnestoa's 13 minute basket-less stretch didn't really help their narrative either.
The Minnesota players were disappointed, naturally, after such a heartbreaking loss in the final to a team that was supposedly no better than the Washington Huskies team that they had defeated in the previous round.
Freshman Joe Coleman, who scored 10 points in the loss:
"Some of the plays we were running that normally work for (Williams and Hollins) were scouted pretty well, and that made it tough on all of us. After that, we really didn't know what else to call. We kind of struggled communicating and just being on the same page."
Andre Hollins, who had a mediocre game in the blow out including a below par 2-4 free throw shooting day:
"That's tough when things are not going your way, I think that's one of the things that I have to learn better; to control the game more."
For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers and their run in the NIT, head over to The Daily Gopher.