INDIANAPOLIS - Trailing 27-23 at halftime, Minnesota coach Dan Monson made his team a promise.

If the Gophers held Michigan to another 27 points in the second half, he guaranteed his players that they could score more than 54 total points and win.

They didn't deliver - allowing the Wolverines to score 28 points in the second frame - but they came close enough.

Minnesota scored 36 points in the final period yesterday to defeat Michigan 59-55 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"We barely made it," Monson said. "But we made it. . I'm just proud of the effort. It was a good team win."

The Wolverines (8-9 Big Ten, 18-10 overall) came into yesterday's contest desperately needing an impressive showing after dropping six of their last eight games. But just like so many times before, the Wolverines came up short.

With a four-point lead at the break, Michigan looked to maintain its defensive intensity and execute better on the offensive end. In the first half, the Wolverines limited Minnesota (6-11, 15-13) to just eight field goals and 34-percent shooting from the floor.

"(We wanted to) keep defending like we had been defending and play better on offense," senior Daniel Horton said. "And it didn't work out. We didn't do that."

Minnesota had the same idea. But it executed its gameplan. The Gophers' halfcourt pressure flustered the Michigan backcourt. Late in the second half, in a span of two-and-half minutes, the Wolverines committing three turnovers, all of which led to Minnesota breakaway lay-ups.

"We knew that we could come and play with them and play better than them," said the Gophers' Zach Puchtel, who grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds. "We fought really hard and just wanted it more than they did."

Said Horton: "I don't think that we were strong enough with the ball. They made some savvy plays in possessions where you're looking to make a pass or feed the post, and they were able to get a hand on it. That comes back to us being tougher and stronger with the ball and taking more pride in having the ball."

The Gophers' confidence grew with each steal and easy bucket, and each time Minnesota stopped Michigan, the Wolverines' fight disappeared a little more. In the second half, the Gophers outhustled Michigan to loose balls, crashed the offensive glass and buckled down defensively.

Coming into the contest, it looked as though the Wolverines were poised to make a run. Both junior Lester Abram and senior Chris Hunter returned to the lineup. They each played for 13 minutes but scored just eight total points.

Dion Harris shook off his recent shooting struggles and nailed his first two 3-pointers. The junior finished with a game-high 16 points and was the lone Michigan player to hit a 3-pointer.

Even though Minnesota stormed back to take the lead late in the second half, the Gophers continued to give Michigan a chance to come back.

In the last minute of the game, Minnesota shot 6-for-16 from the free throw line. But the Wolverines couldn't cash in on the chance. They missed several open 3-pointers with the game on the line and shot just 4-for-22 from beyond the arc on the day.

Michigan also sealed its fate with 21 turnovers. Whenever the Wolverines seemed poised to storm back into the game, an errant pass or miscommunication would give the ball back to the surging Gophers.

"This afternoon was a winnable game for both teams," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "The difference was our inability to take care of the basketball. I thought they were able to get some easy baskets in transition."

Ending the regular season in a downward spiral, Michigan let yet another opportunity to effectively regain some confidence and secure an NCAA Tournament bid slip away.

"We're preparing for the best," senior Graham Brown said. "If we get the opportunity to (play in the NCAA Tournament), we're going to have to regroup and get ready to go. We have a chance."