NU turns hopes to NIT after loss to Minnesota

INDIANAPOLIS - Senior guard Craig Moore had the formula for Northwestern's first NCAA Tournament bid all figured out.

"If we had won two, it would have been automatic," Moore said. "We wouldn't even have to watch the (Selection Sunday) show. We'd just need to prepare for Thursday or Friday."

Please note the way Moore spoke in the past tense.

The Wildcats' NCAA hopes ended 2 wins short of his finish line when their Big Ten tournament opener bore a startling resemblance to their most recent game.

Just like in Sunday's regular-season finale at Ohio State, Northwestern fell behind swiftly and deeply. The Wildcats also replicated their bold move from a 12-point second-half deficit into a 2-point lead.

Alas, last but most important, Northwestern again went stone cold in the clutch.

After battling to take a 2-point lead with 7:45 to go, the Wildcats failed to score on 10 consecutive possessions as Minnesota pulled away for a 66-53 first-round victory at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The eighth-seeded Gophers (22-9) scored 14 points in a row to move into today's first quarterfinal against top-seeded Michigan State.

Northwestern (17-13), which went scoreless for seven minutes and four seconds down the stretch, will wait impatiently for Sunday night and hope the NIT proffers the program's first postseason chance since 1999.

"We're very confident that we'll make the NIT, but it's not our decision," said sophomore point guard Michael Thompson. "We did our part. We won the games we were supposed to win but let a couple of games slip away."

This butterfingers battle was at least two games in one. Northwestern fought itself for a half as the Wildcats appeared frantic and out of sorts.

While Minnesota coach Tubby Smith rotated 10 guys within the first five minutes and received 27 first-half points from his bench, the Wildcats had nothing going but junior Kevin Coble.

The second-team all-Big Ten forward scored 19 of NU's 25 first-half points, including a leaning 3-pointer at the buzzer that somehow pulled his side within 31-25 at the break.

"It seemed worse than the Ohio State game," Coble said. "We were so out of sync in that first half and we could not settle down. We were still only down 6, even though I think we played worse."

NU spotted Minnesota 6 more points early in the second half before making its usual run.

With everybody but Coble hitting their shots - and the Gophers unable to solve NU's 1-3-1 trap - the Wildcats pulled off a 19-5 run over a 10-minute stretch to catch up.

When the 5-foot-8 Thompson drove amid the trees and flung a floating bank shot over 6-11 Ralph Sampson III, the Wildcats claimed their first lead since the opening minutes.

Northwestern had three more possessions to extend its edge, but Moore contributed one of his 12 3-point misses, Luka Mirkovic rimmed an open 12-footer, and Coble flipped up an airball trying in vain to beat the shot clock.

Sampson put the Gophers ahead for good with a 3-point play with 5:11 to go. With his famous father in attendance, the freshman piled up 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks. Guard Lawrence Westbrook led the winners with 14 points, all in the second half.

Coble finished with 21 points and 6 rebounds while Moore, the Big Ten's two-time 3-point king, went 2-for-14 on his long-range shots.

"I think Coach (Bill Carmody) gave us tomorrow off," Moore said. "But I'm going to be in the gym knowing that whatever happens - hopefully the postseason comes in some way - I've got a game to get ready for."