EVANSTON-The Wildcats had no answer for Amir Coffey on Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

The Minnesota junior poured in a career-high 32 points as Northwestern dropped its ninth straight game, 62-50. While the Cats fell by only 12 points, the score didn’t reflect the disparity in the two teams as the Gophers controlled the game throughout.

The loss dropped Northwestern to 12-16 (3-14 Big Ten) and summed up a season in which any hopes of a rebound from a disappointing 2017-18 year have been firmly dashed. Instead, the Wildcats have sunk even further.

Following a game against Wisconsin that featured fast-paced basketball, the opening minutes of this game were a return to the norm for Northwestern. In the first eight minutes of the game, the Cats put up five points on 25-percent shooting, while holding Minnesota to 12 on 38 percent shooting.

It didn’t get much better throughout the first half for Northwestern, which struggled to put a run together for the duration of the half. The Wildcats weren't within four points after the first six minutes of the game, and weren’t within single digits for the final five minutes of the half, which ended with Minnesota leading 32-20. They finished the opening half with more turnovers (nine) than baskets (eight).

The second half brought much of the same. Minnesota extended its lead all the way to 20 and Northwestern never seemed to be in the game at any point. An emphatic dunk from Coffey with just under four minutes remaining was effectively the final nail in NU's coffin.

Dererk Pardon led the Wildcats with a 16-point double-double. Vic Law added 13 points and seven assists, and Miller Kopp and Anthony Gaines both contributed nine.

Coffey led the Gophers with 32 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. No other Gopher entered double-digits in scoring.

Here are our three-pointers from the scene of another numbing Northwestern defeat:

Coffey was just too strong: The 6-foot-8 wing was in a class of his own tonight, tying his career-high in points with a 32-point double-double. Even more impressive, Coffey played the entire 40 minutes, highlighting just how important he was for Minnesota.

“Coffey was phenomenal, on offense and defense,” Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said. “You gotta let him roll, he's just a phenomenal player.”

Coffey accounted for over half of Minnesota’s points and played like an elite Big Ten athlete. Northwestern accounted for Minnesota’s big men well, limiting Daniel Oturu and Jordan Murphy to 12 combined points, but its tough to beat a team when one player is dominating the way that Coffey did. He finished 12 for 19 from the field and 3 for 6 from beyond the arc.

Scoring kills Northwestern again: It has been the story for Northwestern all season, and it was again tonigh. The Wildcats struggled to find anything on offense, scoring 50 points on 34-percent shooting from the field.

“Our inability to score has been our Kryptonite,” NU coach Chris Collins said. “Every time we try to get some momentum, we just can't string together two, three, four buckets. That's been the thing that's really hurt us this year.”

The disparity in fouls was also glaring for Northwestern, which has struggled to drive to the basket and get calls all year. Minnesota notched 19 attempts to Northwestern’s 10 and outscored the Wildcats 15-8 from the line.

That margin at the line, plus Coffey's point production, added up to doom for Northwestern.

Sad state of affairs: It’s been said before, but this is rock-bottom for Northwestern.

The Gophers came in having lost six of their last seven and were just 1-8 on the road all season, so this was the Wildcats' last, best chance for a win. They certainly won't be favored in any of their remaining games.

Looking bigger picture, Collins is heading toward his worst record in his sixth year with the program. These are all his players, and his team got dominated by the eighth-place team in the Big Ten at home. At 3-14, NU is dead-last in the Big Ten and two games behind 13th-place Nebraska.

The expectations coming into this year weren’t sky-high, but it's safe to assume that no one expected this.

Collins did note that he “[doesn’t] see anybody laying down,” adding “I don't see any quit in our guys. I've got guys that are going to do everything in their power to make things right.”

At this point, fans would just settle for a win.