Ben Johnson's first month as Minnesota's men's basketball coach saw his team win all four games away from home, including three true road victories at Pittsburgh, Mississippi State and Michigan.
But it's been a tough time on the road for Johnson's squad since then.
The Gophers lost their seventh consecutive road game Thursday, falling 67-46 against Penn State at Bryce Jordan Center.
It was their worst loss against Penn State in program history, dating back to the first meeting in 1975. Minnesota also hadn't scored under 50 points in consecutive games since February of the 2013-14 season.
Several of Johnson's players seemed exhausted mentally and physically from the 70-45 loss Tuesday night at Ohio State, the program's lowest-scoring game since 2012-13.
"We have got to find a way to not be tired," Johnson said. "I think that's what it comes down to in these last two games. We've got to mentally block out fatigue. All these teams we all play about the same amount of guys, especially this time of year."
Last weekend, the Gophers (12-12, 3-12 Big Ten) ended a five-game losing streak with a 76-70 win against Penn State at Williams Arena.
The rematch came quickly in a rescheduled game from Jan. 19 because of COVID-19 issues within Minnesota's program. Not only were there key adjustments with the quick turnaround, but one team had much more energy and fight this time. The Nittany Lions (11-12, 6-9) scored 40 points in the paint and shot 65% from the field in the second half Thursday.
"Two minutes into the game, we were shot," Johnson said. "Couldn't get anything going. Lot of tipped balls. Lot of stuff at the rim we couldn't get. We shot [46%] from the line. But definitely give Penn State credit. I thought with their energy and competitive spirit, they took it to us from the start. And we never punched back."
After a career-high 22 points last Saturday against Penn State, Gophers center Eric Curry had only one point on 0-for-6 shooting Thursday in 22 minutes. Curry, who battled an ankle injury last month, appeared fatigued in Minnesota's second consecutive road game. So did guard Payton Willis, who scored five points for the second consecutive game.
Jamison Battle carried his team for stretches in the second half with his outside shooting. But as the only Minnesota player in double figures with 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting, the forward didn't have much support.
Nittany Lions coach Micah Shrewsberry said the loss at Minnesota was "one of the worst defensive efforts of the season," but his team got a confidence boost with a 62-58 victory Tuesday vs. No. 19 Michigan State.
Penn State forced the Gophers to be a jump-shooting team early. But it also took advantage of Minnesota's poor defensive effort on ball screens with John Harrar, Myles Dread and Jalen Pickett combining for 42 points.
The Gophers pulled within 36-25 with 16:35 to play in the second half on Battle's second consecutive three-pointer, but the Nittany Lions pulled away with a 21-8 run.
Pickett, who had a team-high 20 points, scored seven points during a 13-0 run that was capped with his 3-pointer for a 57-33 lead with nine minutes remaining.
In Minnesota's last road win — 75-65 Dec. 11 at Michigan — Battle had a season-high 27 points, but the Gophers also had three other starters in double figures. They had four starters score in double digits against the Nittany Lions at home, but shooting woes traveled with them on the road.
In Tuesday's blowout loss at Ohio State, the Gophers shot only 23% in the second half. They were 32% from the field Thursday at Penn State, including 10 for 34 inside the arc.
The Gophers have bounced back before at the Barn, but they might need their fans to provide even more energy with a third game in five days Saturday afternoon against Northwestern.
"Teams that want to keep it going find a way to power through," Johnson said. "Teams that don't find a way do not. And it gets ugly. I don't think these guys want it to end on a bad note."
———
The Star Tribune did not travel for this event. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the event.
