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In senior night festivities, Gophers guard Langston Reynolds was joined on the Williams Arena court pregame Saturday by his mother, Shaunta Reynolds, his diminutive “auntie,” his kid brother, older brother and his brother’s fiancé.
“I cried like I thought I would,” Reynolds said postgame. “It was just a lot, being there with my family and seeing my mom and really thinking about the journey it took to get here.”
Reynolds, a one-year transfer from Northern Colorado, channeled those emotions in the second half against Northwestern, scoring nine straight points to open up a 48-34 lead early in the second half and then converting on two crucial drives to the basket in the final 30 seconds for a 67-66 win at The Barn.
“I just knew if I was going to be aggressive, they were going to keep putting two (defenders) on the ball and I had to find the open guy or I was going to score,” Reynolds said. “I just felt like the basket (looked) really big for me.”
Minnesota (15-16, 8-12 Big Ten) continued to battle with a rotation of only six players, including seniors Reynolds and Cade Tyson, and swept the season series with the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15). Minnesota will have an 11 or 12 seed at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago next week and will play on Wednesday. Northwestern needed a win to avoid a spot the bottom four seeds and a Tuesday game.
Reynolds finished with 21 points, on off his season high, making 9 of 13 shots in 39 minutes. “What an effort,” coach Niko Medved said. “All game, but really starting that second half. He just really kept us going.”
Bobby Durkin, who was playing hurt, hit a 3-pointer to extend Minnesota’s lead to 58-48 with nine minutes left. But Wildcats all-Big Ten wing Nick Martinelli scored eight of the next 10 for Northwestern to cut it to 61-58 with four minutes to go.
Reynolds, who struggled from the line during the season, made two big free throws, Martinelli hit a jumper and Jordan Clayton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to make it 64-63 with 1:34 remaining.
Angelo Caaravino made two free throws for a 66-63 lead. Martinelli missed a free throw and Reynolds grabbed the defensive rebound. He went coast to coast and laid it in for a 67-66 lead with 11 seconds left.
Medved didn’t call a timeout on the final possessions, had players spread the floor and gave the keys to Reynolds to create.
“I can be a little old-school that way,” Medved said. “I think sometimes the tendency is to always call timeout in those situations and I don’t love to do that. They were pressuring us and at the end of the day, if I call a timeout — I just thought Langston could get downhill.”
Martinelli, who finished with 23 points, missed a three on the final possession and the Wildcats couldn’t get off another shot.
Tyson, who added 15 points in his last home game at the U, praised Reynolds. “Same thing we have seen all season: Just a huge leader for us on and off the court,” Tyson said. “Talking to us in the huddle. Talking to us on the court. Helping us have that next-play mentality and also keeping that aggressive mindset throughout the whole game. That is what Langston does.”
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“I cried like I thought I would,” Reynolds said postgame. “It was just a lot, being there with my family and seeing my mom and really thinking about the journey it took to get here.”
Reynolds, a one-year transfer from Northern Colorado, channeled those emotions in the second half against Northwestern, scoring nine straight points to open up a 48-34 lead early in the second half and then converting on two crucial drives to the basket in the final 30 seconds for a 67-66 win at The Barn.
“I just knew if I was going to be aggressive, they were going to keep putting two (defenders) on the ball and I had to find the open guy or I was going to score,” Reynolds said. “I just felt like the basket (looked) really big for me.”
Minnesota (15-16, 8-12 Big Ten) continued to battle with a rotation of only six players, including seniors Reynolds and Cade Tyson, and swept the season series with the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15). Minnesota will have an 11 or 12 seed at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago next week and will play on Wednesday. Northwestern needed a win to avoid a spot the bottom four seeds and a Tuesday game.
Reynolds finished with 21 points, on off his season high, making 9 of 13 shots in 39 minutes. “What an effort,” coach Niko Medved said. “All game, but really starting that second half. He just really kept us going.”
Bobby Durkin, who was playing hurt, hit a 3-pointer to extend Minnesota’s lead to 58-48 with nine minutes left. But Wildcats all-Big Ten wing Nick Martinelli scored eight of the next 10 for Northwestern to cut it to 61-58 with four minutes to go.
Reynolds, who struggled from the line during the season, made two big free throws, Martinelli hit a jumper and Jordan Clayton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to make it 64-63 with 1:34 remaining.
Angelo Caaravino made two free throws for a 66-63 lead. Martinelli missed a free throw and Reynolds grabbed the defensive rebound. He went coast to coast and laid it in for a 67-66 lead with 11 seconds left.
Medved didn’t call a timeout on the final possessions, had players spread the floor and gave the keys to Reynolds to create.
“I can be a little old-school that way,” Medved said. “I think sometimes the tendency is to always call timeout in those situations and I don’t love to do that. They were pressuring us and at the end of the day, if I call a timeout — I just thought Langston could get downhill.”
Martinelli, who finished with 23 points, missed a three on the final possession and the Wildcats couldn’t get off another shot.
Tyson, who added 15 points in his last home game at the U, praised Reynolds. “Same thing we have seen all season: Just a huge leader for us on and off the court,” Tyson said. “Talking to us in the huddle. Talking to us on the court. Helping us have that next-play mentality and also keeping that aggressive mindset throughout the whole game. That is what Langston does.”
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