Thursday’s game against Wichita State gave the Gophers men’s basketball team a rare opportunity to earn a quality nonconference win away from Williams Arena.

It was left wanting.

Minnesota led by five with two minutes left, but couldn’t close it out in crunch time and lost 68-66 in overtime to undefeated Wichita State in an ESPN Events Invitational semifinal in Orlando, Fla.

“That was a tough one,” head coach Johnson said on the KTLK-AM postgame show. “I thought for almost the entirety of the game, the defensive effort was there. We had them in the type of game that we wanted. … Just a couple miscues and a couple of things that we have to tighten up.”

Minnesota (5-2) will play in the third-place game at noon CT Friday against the loser in the second semifinal: No. 18 Florida (6-0) or Wake Forest (6-1).

The Gophers didn’t foul in the end of regulation, but did foul at the end of overtime. Both can be judged as errors that contributed to the defeat to Wichita State (6-0).

The Gophers were up 57-54 with 10 second remaining in regulation, and head coach Ben Johnson did not instruct his players to foul while up three points.

“We were in full denial on the guys who were shooters,” Johnson explained.

But Harlod Beverly, a career 22% percent 3-point shooter, made a lightly contested game-tying a 3-pointer with one second left to force overtime. He finished with a game-high 16 points.

“The guy that we wanted to shoot it at 18% (this season) shot it and will have to look at the film to see what we could do better,” Johnson said. “That is just a tough break.”

Tied 66-66 in overtime, Frank Mitchell fouled Justin Hill far from the basket with four seconds remaining. Hill made both free throws.

Then Brennan Rigsby was forced into a double-clutch 3-pointer at the buzzer; the potential game-winner hit the rim four times before falling off.

In regulation, Minnesota led 55-50 with 2:34 remaining, but couldn’t strong. Bell and  Beverly each made layups to cut the U lead to 55-54 with 10 seconds left. Then true freshman Isaac Asuma sank both free throws to extend lead to three before the game-tying 3 to send it to overtime.

Dawson Garcia was subjected to two suspect foul calls for his fourth with five minutes left in regulation and his fifth in overtime. On 22 points per game this season, he faced double teams all game and finished a season-low four points on 1 of 7 shooting.

Minnesota couldn’t make Wichita State pay for its added attention on Garcia, making only 3 of 23 3-point attempts.

The Gophers, which had nine turnovers in the first half, but only three after the break, fell to its second American Athletic Conference team this season. North Texas beat the U 54-51 at The Barn on Nov. 13.

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