Minnesota
After stunner at Minnesota, Michigan has 4 losses by a combined 8 points
Michigan was denied a second overtime in Minneapolis when Dawson Garcia sunk a buzzer-beating shot from just inside half court. The Wolverines had their chances to make sure a shot like that didn’t matter.
But some recurring issues (plus a new one) doomed Michigan in Thursday night’s 84-81 loss to last-place Minnesota.
“We had said it coming in: ‘You can’t overlook anybody in this league,’” Michigan forward Will Tschetter said on the postgame radio show. “We obviously overlooked them tonight.”
‘Uncharacteristic’ offensive performance
The Wolverines entered the game leading the country in 2-point shooting at 63 percent. They shot just 17 of 40 (43 percent) inside the arc against Minnesota, with the figure even worse when considering only shots labeled in the box score as dunks or layups.
“Credit Minnesota; I thought they played with physicality,” Michigan coach Dusty May said on the radio. “I thought they put bodies on us. They collapsed on a lot of those drives. One of the reasons we’ve played so well at the rim is because when (teams) do collapse we’ve made the next pass and the next play, and tonight we challenged multiple bodies at the rim several times. That was just uncharacteristic of us.”
Several Wolverines missed shots at the basket they usually make. Starting center Vladislav Goldin entered the game with the top field-goal percentage among Big Ten players (63 percent). He made just 5 of 15 shots.
“Vlad’s played in a lot of basketball games and I’m just gonna chalk this up to (it) just wasn’t his night,” May said. “I thought he had several good looks that just didn’t drop. And on the nights when the ball is just not dropping, you can’t give up the offensive rebounds and you can’t turn it over. You just can’t do all those in the same game.”
Another close loss
Thursday’s three-point defeat was Michigan’s most lopsided loss of the season. Michigan’s four losses have come by a combined eight points.
Mistakes are magnified in games like that. Turnovers have been a problem for Michigan most of the season. Michigan’s total on Thursday (13) wasn’t egregious, but a sloppy start “set the tone” for the game, May said.
Midway through overtime, after Danny Wolf had set up Goldin for dunks on two straight possessions, something went awry on Tre Donaldson’s pass to Nimari Burnett, and the ball ricocheted out of bounds.
Michigan’s rebounding was also fine overall but not good enough in May’s eyes. The Golden Gophers grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, including one they had no business getting that led to a 3 to open the overtime scoring.
“Our defense, our ability to rebound the basketball when it really mattered was I think ultimately the difference,” May said.
Though more of a gut punch in the moment, close losses are a better sign for a team than blowout losses. And it’s not like the Wolverines haven’t been able to win any close games. They beat Wisconsin and Iowa by two points each, and trailed USC and UCLA in the second half before pulling away.
The bigger issue is that the Wolverines have blown double-digit leads in all four losses. They were up 10 with 12:50 to go on Thursday. They led Oklahoma by 11 in the second half, and held 13- and 15-point first-half leads over Wake Forest and Arkansas, respectively.
Michigan’s inability to put away Thursday’s game was especially surprising since Minnesota was 0-6 in the Big Ten.
Impressive homecoming
Though he didn’t sound thrilled to talk about it, Tschetter played well for Michigan in a homecoming game. The redshirt junior scored 15 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He made three 3-pointers and had 11 points in the first half.
“He’s consistent with his effort and energy,” May said. “(He) made some big shots. I thought he was poised around the rim. I thought he was a real bright spot.”
Tschetter is from Stewartville, a small town about 100 miles south of Minneapolis. The TV broadcast noted he had about 100 family members and friends inside Williams Arena on Thursday.
“Obviously it’s great to be able to come home and play in front of people that have grown up watching me,” Tschetter said. “But obviously ridiculously disappointed with a few things I did myself, the team, and just the overall game.
“We’ve just got to get back to the fundamentals of who we are, how we’ve won games in the past. Got to get back to being unselfish, rebounding the freakin’ basketball and just things like that.”
Michigan (13-4, 5-1) hosts Northwestern (11-6, 2-4) on Sunday. The Wildcats won on Thursday (at Maryland) on an overtime buzzer-beater.
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Minnesota
Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota
ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Minnesota
Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming
Reds’ Brandon Williamson talks Minnesota homecoming, beating Twins
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth inning to beat his home-state Minnesota Twins 2-1 in his first pro start in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.
“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”
By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.
And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.
“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”
The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.
As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”
A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.
The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.
The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.
Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.
Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.
“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”
Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.
“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.
The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.
“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”
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