Mbakwe, Minnesota remove No. 1 Indiana 77-73

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) a Trevor Mbakwe had 21 details and 12 rebounds to greatly help Minnesota remove No. 1 Indiana 77-73 on Tuesday night, the seventh time the top-ranked crew in The Associated Press' poll has lost a game title in 2010. Points were added 16 by andre Hollins for the Gophers (19-9, 7-8 Big Ten), who outrebounded Cody Zeller and the Hoosiers by way of a whopping 44-30 and solidified their falling NCAA tournament case having an emphatic performance from the Big Ten leaders. The fans rushed the court as the last seconds ticked off, initially that is happened within years. Zeller was held to seven points with four turnovers for the Hoosiers (24-4, 12-3), who have held the No. 1 rating for 10 of 17 forms this season such as the last four. Victor Oladipo scored 16 points, but 14 of the 17 points by Jordan Hulls got before halftime. His conference-leading seventh double-double was posted by mbakwe, a sixth-year senior,. At 24 years old, he was a person among children in lots of ways in this game, owning both ends of the court if the Gophers needed him most. Minnesota had 23 offensive rebounds. Elliott Eliason, who enjoyed just in addition to Zeller, the slender sophomore in the article for the visitors, scored seven right factors for Minnesota to tie the game at 46 soon after Oladipo's change layup had provided the Hoosiers a 44-36 lead, their largest of the game. Hollins, who missed eight of his first eight shots, scraped off a high screen by Eliason to move up for a 3-pointer and give a 51-48 lead to the Gophers underneath the 9-minute mark. Mbakwe got a rebound to keep an integral person living then grabbed his off-balance bank shot to be set up by another board for a 56-53 cause for Minnesota with 7:22 left. Mbakwe was needed a fully questioned blocking foul, his fourth, with 4:39 staying on Zeller's fast-break layup that set the Hoosiers up 59-58. But Austin Hollins answered with a pump-fake layup that received a for a 61-59 lead and a play for the Gophers. Joe Coleman's fast-break dunk with 2:35 left raised Minnesota to a 68-61 side, enough of a support to withstand a few 3-pointers by Christian Watford and one by Hulls in the final minutes. Mbakwe, who played for Indiana instructor Tom Crean when they were at Marquette in 2007-08, has had a number of his better games contrary to the Hoosiers. This is his best. He gave the Gophers and their property crowd a double-shot of energy early with 10 points in the first 6A minutes, plus a jarring block of Zeller's inside shot that knocked the 7-footer to the court. Coach Tubby Smith got Mbakwe out for a breather, however, and the Hoosiers continued a 10-0 run given by yet another behind-the-arc swish from Hulls. Zeller, Indiana's leading scorer and the second-best shooting in the Big Ten behind Oladipo, was 0 for 4 from the area in the first half with two turnovers, two fouls and two points. Mbakwe found his 2nd foul when Oladipo drew contact with 4:02 lay until the buzzer and left prior to the break. The Gophers scored only three factors within the last few 7 minutes of the half. The Hoosiers started the week with a two-game lead in losing column over Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin, positioned due to their first outright Big Ten regular season title since going 17-1 in 1993 during Bob Knight's heyday as instructor. With household games against Iowa and Ohio State, Indiana includes a possiblity to clinch the title prior to the climax at Michigan on March 10. Six days ago, this game looked like among the several marquee matchups that have marked Big Ten play this season, with as powerful because it is been in probably years a convention. But whilst the Hoosiers held earning after their 88-81 hold-on-at-the-end success on Jan. 12 over then-No. 8 Minnesota, the Gophers sputtered. Their half-court offense specifically has caused difficulty, having an inability to solve zone defenses and a glaring lack of confidence, identity or purpose on therefore many assets during the last couple of weeks. Their battles were never more pronounced in defeat by 21 points at Iowa, than inside their last two games and 26 points at Ohio State. Also on this night, despite the significant improvement, they looked lost sometimes when Mbakwe was not on the court. So here these were after having a much-needed end of the week in the plan, right back on their distinctly increased home court and trying desperately to boost spirits that have sagged beneath the weight of seven failures in their previous 11 games. Smith also had the team talk with a sports psychologist. Over their last 10 games, they averaged only 57 points and hadn't capped 58 in five games since Feb. 3. After being positioned in 11 direct forms, the Gophers didn't get one vote this week. And Follow Dave Campbell on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP