For Indiana basketball this season, no second-half lead ever seems comfortable. It was a 27-point margin at the 13:49 mark after a Jordan Geronimo dunk with the score at 53-36. Minnesota scored an incredible 43-points from that moment on, one every 19.3 seconds, including 6-threes in the last seven minutes. It was nearly another Hoosier collapse, this time at Williams Arena, maybe even greater than against Wisconsin in Madison, except this time they held on for victory. IU even reached the magical sixty mark at 11:55, up by twenty-two. but it all came down to Xavier Johnson free throws for a narrow 84-79 win. The Golden Gophers had cut it to three, a one-possession game, with :05 remaining.

Regardless of the final score, IU got its third conference road win and evened their BIG record at 9-9. Most tournament experts considered them to be one of the last four teams in, with two regular season and at least one BIG tourney game remaining on the schedule. Both IU and Rutgers (10-8), sitting on that scary bubble, would meet in Bloomington next to earn a decisive edge from the selection committee. Michigan at 9-8 was also a factor in the overall scheme of conference opponents that might make the Big Dance. Was there room for nine BIG teams?

I don’t think anybody’s counting on IU to beat Purdue again this season, especially at Mackey on Senior Day with the conference title on the line. Most Indiana fans would be content with simply a win over Rutgers and an elusive invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Maybe we could even get revenge over Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa or Purdue to put some extra icing on the cake.