Armelin, 'U' bench propel Gophers to overtime victory over Illinois
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Saturday provided a reversal of fortunes for the Gophers.
Guard Austin Hollins drained a game-tying free throw with four seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, where the Gophers prevailed for a topsy-turvy 77-72 victory over Illinois -- four weeks after they were defeated by the Illini in similar fashion.
Illinois, who had overcome a 10-point second half deficit, was seconds away from sending the Gophers to their second-straight loss.
With his team trailing by three, Hollins opted to forgo the expected perimeter shot in favor of charging towards the basket. The gamble paid off as Illini standout Myers Leonard was called for a shooting foul -- his fifth of the night -- leaving him helpless as he watched Hollins' lay-up roll in.
"I knew when I came off the hand-off I could have shot the three -- that's what (the coaches) wanted me to do," Hollins said. "But I drove the basket and knew I had to try and get a foul."
The Gophers (16-6, 4-5 in the Big Ten) outscored Illinois 13-8 in the overtime session to salvage a game they nearly gave away.
The victory -- their fourth in five games -- carried a slight edge of redemption. In the first meeting this season between the two squads, the "U" squandered a late regulation lead, committing a last-second foul that allowed the Illini to tie the game at the free throw line and hold on in double overtime.
Illinois held Gophers starters Rodney Williams (6), Julian Welch (2) and Ralph Sampson III (5) to a combined 13 points, but could do nothing to stop the "U" bench from producing a 39-9 scoring advantage.
"They played with a lot of passion," coach Tubby Smith said. "Not that the other guys didn't, but sometimes I think guys want to pace themselves some. (The bench) guys know when they go into a game they are going to go all out. That's what they give you. They give you everything they have."
Sophomore guard Chip Armelin captained the explosive outburst from the Gophers reserves' by tying his career-high with 14 points, and adding seven rebounds and three assists.
"Chip, what can I say about him?" Smith said. "Chip was just spectacular."
Hollins equaled Armelin's scoring line, tallying 10 of his 14 points after halftime. Freshman guard Andre Hollins overcame a quiet first half to finish with 12.
Though the Illini faltered in crucial moments, they had the "U" scrambling in the closing minutes of the second half. Guard Brandon Paul scored a game-high 28 points, while Leonard was a dominant force -- 17 points, 13 rebounds -- until he fouled out.
The Gophers' flaws were obvious -- they missed 12 of their 33 free throws (63.6 percent) and were lacking in execution at times. However, those missteps were rendered secondary in the aftermath of the much-needed win, which came in front of the first sellout of the season at Williams Arena (14, 625).
"It's a huge win for us that we needed desperately," Smith said.
The skinny
Illinois took advantage of the sputtering Gophers offense in the game's early goings.
Connecting on seven of their first nine shots, the Illini sprouted a 15-8 lead in a six-minute stretch. The Gophers were slow to react, with their starters floundering to stop Illinois from finding open shooting lanes.
As soon as Smith made a move to his bench, however, an abrupt shift occurred.
All five "U" starters watched from the sideline as the Gophers defense began to strengthen, cutting the momentum Illinois had built up. Freshman center Elliott Eliason set the impending "U" run in motion off a block on the 7-foot-1 Leonard. It took a 12-2 run and less than four minutes for the Gophers to erase the deficit. By the 7:39 mark in the first half, they had moved in front for the first time, 22-18.
"That group did a fantastic job of lifting our spirits and giving us a lot more energy," Smith said.
The Illini didn't fade, staying within five for the remainder of the half, but they allowed the Gophers to stretch the gap to 10-points only four minutes after the midway break.
Slowly, Illinois steadied itself. Paul ignited a 19-4 run as the Illini rumbled past the stunned Gophers into a 54-48 lead with under four minutes to go.
Their collapse, compounded by Paul's 3-pointer that put Illinois up three 12 seconds from the final buzzer, appeared as if it would be more than enough to bury the Gophers. That was before Hollins drew the questionable, but momentum-altering foul.
Turning point
The ramifications of Leonard's foul became even more pronounced in overtime. With their go-to option fouled out, the Illini were left flustered and exposed.
"It was huge. There is no doubt," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said of Leonard's early exit. "It was huge. He is one of the best players in the league."
The Gophers used the gaping hole inside as an opening to attack the basket right away, jumping back in front by four points.
The Illini's already fleeting chances were finally snuffed out when Andre Hollins completed a three-point play at the free throw line after luring in his defender on a successful lay-up at the 1:32 mark.
Numbers game
20: Of the Gophers' 30 first half points came from players off the bench.
17-11: Offensive rebound advantage for the Illini, though they were out-dueled by the Gophers, 28-25, on the defensive glass.
2: Points for Julian Welch -- his lowest total in a game since he was held scoreless on Nov. 17 against Fairfield. Welch entered Saturday as the Gophers' second-leading scorer, with 10.5 ppg.
Quotable
"We were looking for a three, but if he can take it all the way -- that is how we operate."
-- Smith, on Austin Hollins' decision-making with the Gophers trailing by three.
"I'll be honest, I question the foul, but that is part of basketball ... They always say they aren't going to make calls to determine the game, but obviously this is a big one. But you have to give Hollins credit."
-- Weber, addressing the officials' decision to blow the whistle on Leonard in the final seconds of the second half.
Up next
Five of the Gophers' final nine games are against teams either tied or ahead of them in the Big Ten standings -- Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana.
That bolsters the importance of their upcoming two-game road trip. Starting Wednesday, they will face Iowa (11-10, 3-5) and Nebraska (11-9, 3-6) -- both of whom are barely hovering above a .500 overall record. Iowa poses the biggest threat as the Hawkeyes bewildered the Gophers for 64-62 defeat when they last met in early January.
