Northwestern
Minnesota
Men's Basketball Downed by Minnesota, 66-59
2/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2001
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
EVANSTON, Ill. - As Minnesota's John-Blair Bickerstaff was wheeled off the floor on a stretcher, his leg broken in almost the exact spot it was last year, he gave his teammates the victory sign.
They didn't let him down.
Shane Schilling finished with 11 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with five minutes left, and Minnesota beat Northwestern 66-59 Tuesday night.
Travarus Bennett, who replaced Bickerstaff, led the Gophers with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Dusty Rychart added 14 points.
Aaron Jennings led Northwestern (8-15, 0-10) with 14 points, and Jitim Young had 13.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for Minnesota and gave the Gophers (16-7, 4-6) their first league win on the road since Feb. 27, 1999. But the victory was a costly one.
Bickerstaff, a senior, is a captain and the emotional leader of the Gophers. He came back this year after breaking his right leg just below his kneecap last season.
And not even three minutes into the game, it happened again.
Bickerstaff was trying to block forward Ben Johnson's layup with 17:18 left in the first half when he landed awkwardly. As he crumpled to the ground, his right kneecap was pushed up, leaving a gaping cavity between the knee and his right shin bone.
The injury was so gruesome ESPN2 wouldn't show it on replay. Bickerstaff's horrified teammates watched in silence as he grimaced in pain on the floor. Minnesota coach Dan Monson rushed to his side, holding his hand as Bickerstaff leaned against him while they waited for a stretcher.
Bickerstaff looked over at his teammates as he was wheeled off, nodding encouragingly. And his teammates responded. Trailing 11-2 at the time, the Gophers ripped off a 11-2 run to tie the game. The only points Minnesota allowed were two free throws by Jennings.
Jennings stopped Minnesota's spurt with a layup, but Rychart converted a three-point play to give the Golden Gophers a 16-15 lead - their first of the game - with 10:06 left in the half.
Minnesota had a chance to break the game open early in the second half as Northwestern managed just two points during a six-minute stretch. Rychart scored on a pull-up jumper, and Bennett hit a layup and a free throw to give Minnesota a 47-39 lead with 11:54 left.
But Jennings made a hook shot and then hit two free throws to pull Northwestern within 47-43 with 10:34 to play.
Jennings got Northwestern within 53-49 on a layup with 5:46 left, but Schilling knocked down a 3 with 5:19 left, Terrance Simmons made another with 3:39 left, and the Wildcats never threatened again.
Northwestern will be back in action Saturday, hosting Iowa at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 1:30 p.m.
