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Minnesota looks to halt slide in visit to Indiana

Jan 25, 2009 - 7:01 AM (20) Minnesota (16-3) at Indiana (5-12) 12:00 p.m. EST

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (Ticker) -- Losers of consecutive games for the first time this season, 20th-ranked Minnesota will look to keep Indiana winless in Big Ten play when the schools meet Sunday.

The Golden Gophers (16-3, 4-3 Big Ten) opened the season 16-1 to vault themselves as high as No. 17 in the Top 25. A two-game slide has put them at risk of dropping out of the rankings, and a loss to the lowly Hoosiers would surely do just that.

After being upset by Northwestern last Sunday, Minnesota followed with an abysmal offensive performance in a 70-62 loss at home to No. 18 Purdue.

While they sank 27-of-31 attempts from the free-throw line, the Golden Gophers were just 28 percent (16-of-58) from the field and 3-of-19 from 3-point range.

Al Nolen had 17 points, six rebounds and four rebounds and Lawrence Westbrook scored 12, but the duo combined to make just 5-of-22 field-goal attempts.

Indiana (5-12, 0-5) has lost eight straight games and is coming off a 65-55 loss to Penn State last Saturday.

Devan Dumes and Tom Pritchard are both averaging more than 12 points a contest for the Hoosiers, who are scoring a league-low 60.1 points per game and surrendering the most points in the league at 70.1.