Gopher Men's skid drags on in a tough loss to Illinois

Illinois 74

Minnesota 71

Thirty-nine points combined from Joey King and Nate Mason weren't enough to seal a much needed Big 10 conference win in overtime for the Gopher Men.

1) An inglorious record

https://twitter.com/GophersNow/status/691114188165353472

The Gophers tied a school record for long-ball attempts tonight but most of them clanged off the iron, as the squad hit an abysmal 30% of their three point shots. Chief bricklayers tonight were Joey King (5 of 14) and Dupree McBrayer (0 of 4).

2. Limping towards the end

Despite a carrying a lead for a majority of the second half, the Gophers began to lose focus near the final two minutes and allowed a 16 to 0 run from Illinois that stretched into overtime and lasted nearly eight minutes in total, according to Marcus Fuller of the Pioneer Press.

3. The losing streak continues-and it's going to get worse

https://twitter.com/AmeliaRayno/status/691108618150633472

The Gopher Men are now on a 9 game losing streak with little sign of hope on the horizon. Their upcoming schedule is a murderer's row that includes Purdue (#22), Indiana (#25), Iowa (#9) and Maryland (#7). Minnesota's next matchup against a team with a losing record is a home game against Rutgers in late February.

Up Next:

Minnesota (6-14, 0-8 Big 10) hosts Purdue (17-3, 5-2 Big 10) Wednesday night, a 8 p.m. CST tip.