Morning Box Score: Minnesota Downs Northwestern

By Matt Motyka in News on Mar 13, 2009 2:50PM

Northwestern lost to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, 66-53, ending the Wildcats’ bid for their first-ever NCAA tournament berth. After trailing for most of the contest, Northwestern used a 10-point run midway through the second half to seize the lead, 49-47. That score held for the next two and a half minutes, until Minnesota upped the ante with their own 14-point scoring streak. The Wildcats’ next bucket didn’t come until the game’s final minute, far too late for another comeback attempt. On a particularly off shooting night for Northwestern, Kevin Coble turned in the top performance with 21 points. His teammates shot a combined 27 percent, including 12 missed three-pointers from senior Craig Moore. Finishing the regular season at ninth place in a crowded conference, Northwestern likely needed a Big Ten tournament win to earn an invitation to the Dance.