2019 NCAA Tournament First Round: Minnesota uses 3-pointers to keep season going

DES MOINES -- As University of Minnesota forward Jordan Murphy walked to the locker room Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena, he let out a sigh of relief and said to himself “we needed that one.”

Murphy knew that his team had something to prove. And, as the underdog, it did.

The tenth-seeded Gophers (22-13) hit a season-high 11 3-pointers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to upset No. 7 Louisville, 86-76. Minnesota will play Michigan State or Bradley on Saturday with the tip-off time to be announced later Friday night.

Freshman Gabe Kalscheur led that charge with five 3s, and scored 24 points, just one shy of his career-high. Kalscheur was one of five Gophers who scored in double figures.


In fact, all five who scored in double figures -- Murphy (18), Amir Coffey (18), Kalscheur, Dupree McBrayer, (13) and Daniel Oturu (13) -- were the only ones who had points.


Kalscheur wouldn’t admit whether it was his best game, but liked how he played in first national tournament game.


“I wouldn’t say that this was my best game, but my most complete game? I would say so,” Kalscheur said. “I feel like I got it done on the defensive end and on the offensive end. I feel like we did really well defensively and offensively. There are things we could work on and stuff.”


McBrayer hit the first 3 with 7 minutes, 14 seconds left in the first half that gave Minnesota an 18-17 lead. On its next possession, Coffey hit his first 3 of the night.


Then, Kalscheur got hot. He scored the next eight points for the Gophers, and even though they led by seven points, they wouldn’t surrender the lead to the Cardinals.


“He's a terrific three-point shooter,” Gophers coach Richard Pitino said. “He has a beautiful stroke. He's one of those guys, he deserves success. Doesn't matter what you do that guy doesn't take the day off. He sneaks into the gym. He's a throwback and he deserves success.”


The lead for the Gophers grew as much as 19, and did it for awhile without Murphy’s services. Murphy said his back locked up on him but wanted to play through it.


“I mean, I don't know what else I can do about it, but for now just get treatment and take care of it,” Murphy said.


The Gophers had a bad taste in their mouth after their last experience. Minnesota dropped its first-round game to Middle Tennessee State.


They wanted to erase that bad taste on Thursday.

“Coming into this game. Everyone was talking about Louisville,” Coffey said. “We were the underdog in this game and to come out with the win … we got to keep going and move forward.”

No. 2 Michigan State 76, No. 15 Bradley 65

The Braves certainly weren't scared to go toe-to-toe with a national brand name. In fact, Bradley had a 35-34 lead at the half.

But, the Spartans (29-6) grinded out a win on Thursday to face Minnesota in Saturday's second-round contest in Des Moines.

Michigan State went on a 9-0 run that put it ahead 63-55 with 2:41 left to bounce the pesky Missouri Valley Conference tournament champions from the national tournament.

The Spartans also held Bradley (20-15) to seven total second-half rebounds.

"I think coach said at the end of the game even after all that we'e still one of the last 32 (teams) standing right now," Spartans guard Cassius Winston said. "We know there is a lot we can improve, but that's our goal to get better and better each and every step of the way and now we got a chance to get better and that's always a good thing."

Winston scored a game-high 26 points; Elijah Childs led Bradley with 19 points.

Montezuma gets over the top with quarterfinal win

DES MOINES -- Toward the end of the first quarter, Montezuma High School girls basketball coach Janel Burgess took off her blazer and put her hair in a ponytail.
It was time for the Bravettes to get down to business, and after a slow start they did.
The Bravettes defeated CAM of Anita 59-45 on Wednesday in a Class 1A state quarterfinal game at Wells Fargo Arena.

Montezuma (22-2) started out the game shooting 2-for-12 from the floor, and missed all five 3-pointers attempted.
"Slow starts at the state tournament are going to concern you, just because it's a different venue," Burgess said. "Yet, we have played great teams. In that sense, I knew we were okay. We just had to calm ourselves down." 
To add salt to the early wound, Montezuma junior Shateah Wetering was on the bench with two fouls.
Wetering admitted that she does get in foul trouble more often than she'd like to, but enjoyed watching her teammates revive the offense with her on the bench with two fouls. 
"It always happens; coach is telling me to put my hands up," Wetering said. "I was excited that our whole team was doing so well."
Elise Boulton hit three 3s in the second quarter that helped the Bravettes erase an 11-point deficit, and go on a 17-4 run. Boulton scored 13 points while Wetering led the Bravettes with 17.

Once Montezuma took the lead with 2 seconds left in the second quarter on a Shelby Conger 3 near the right-side wing, the Bravettes never relinquished that advantage.
"To see our team enthusiasm and unity go up when those went down, that was pretty awesome," Burgess said. "I thought if we could get our composure on the offensive end and move the ball, we'd be okay. The defense was fine. Elise found a couple of open 3s and that was huge for us as well."
Montezuma will play No. 2 seed West Hancock at 3:15 p.m. Friday.

Criswell returns to state 25 years later

Greg Criswell thought he'd never coach again, much less at the 2019 Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union state basketball tournament.
Alas, he has returned with the Waukon High School girls basketball team 25 seasons after taking Montezuma to the state tournament in 1994.
Waukon won its state quarterfinal game with a 48-37 win over Crestwood in Des Moines on Monday. It was the third time the Indians and Cadets had met this season.

Many things have changed since the last time Criswell was a head coach. For starters, the tournament has moved from across the street from Veterans Memorial Auditorium to Wells Fargo Arena. (It's been that way since 2006.)

"It personally has rejuvenated me," Criswell said. "I inherited a great group of girls who love to work hard. It's exciting to be back and we're in it for another round."
Criswell uses the Montezuma squads from 1989 to 1994 -- the time Criswell coached at Montezuma -- as an example to his current Indians squad.
"In regards to how hard they work, how hard they played, and (Waukon) really reminds me of how Monte played," Criswell said.
Criswell had spent 21 years coaching at Winterset High School after leaving Montezuma.
Two years ago, Criswell happened to be in La Crosse, Wisconsin, watching a girls' tournament as a spectator. He had noticed among a slew of club teams was one high school non-club team: Waukon.
He appreciated how they played in an area where the girls basketball talent is strong.
A month after Criswell saw the Indians play in La Crosse, he saw their head coach job had opened up. He thought that was interesting.
"They have been super," Criswell said. "I decided to go ahead, I called the athletic director Brian Hilsabeck and he said, 'You have to come up here. This is God's country up here.' My wife and I drove up here, and we just felt it was right. We packed the family up to Waukon, Iowa."
He had known about the Montezuma girls basketball head coaching job being vacant, and he admitted there was interest.
He got a phone call from Janel (Grimm) Burgess, his star player in that 1994 state tournament run at Montezuma.
Burgess had just returned back to Montezuma after traveling around the Midwest coaching in different college basketball programs. She had interest in the Montezuma vacancy, and asked Criswell for her opinion.
He advised his former player to pursue the opening at her alma mater.
"Janel has a special place in my heart," Criswell said. "For Janel to be up here coaching in the state tournament, to me, that's really special and neat."
The two coaches keep in touch often, In fact, before the Indians and Cadets played Monday evening, Burgess sent Criswell three good-luck messages.
Montezuma is in its second straight state tournament after being ousted in the quarterfinals last season by Central Decatur.
Burgess' career record at Montezuma so far in two seasons is 41-5. The Bravettes play at CAM High School at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.