North Texas leads Minnesota most of the way, holds off Golden Gophers 54-51 to move to 3-0
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rondel Walker scored 14 points and undefeated North Texas led for most of the way and held off Minnesota for a 54-51 victory on Wednesday night.
Dawson Garcia scored six points during an 8-2 surge to pull Minnesota to 52-51 with 30 seconds left. Isaac Asuma blocked Brenen Lorient’s layup attempt on the ensuing possession, but Lu’Cye Patterson’s 3-point shot hit the back of the rim and the Mean Green’s Johnathan Massie grabbed the rebound.
Following a North Texas timeout with 3 seconds to go, Lorient added a dunk and Patterson’s midcourt heave bounced off the backboard.
Lorient added nine points for the Mean Green.
Garcia shot 6 of 9 from the field, made all 10 of his free throws and finished with 24 points to lead Minnesota (2-1). He entered three points shy of 1,000 career points with the Golden Gophers, the first do so since Daniel Oturu in 2020. Garcia has 1,516 points overall.
North Texas forward Brenen Lorient, front, works with the ball down low as Minnesota guard Femi Odukale (11) defends him in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Bruce Kluckhohn
Minnesota was 15-of-38 shooting (31%), committed 13 turnovers and missed seven (15 of 22) of its free-throw attempts. Patterson added nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Minnesota shot just 14% in the first half, missing 18 of 21 field goals and trailed 23-14 at the break. Brennan Rigsby hit a 3-pointer at the 15:41-mark and the Gophers didn’t hit another field goal until Garcia’s second-chance layup with 3:15 remaining in the half.
Rigsby’s 3-pointer gave the Golden Gophers their only lead, 43-42, with 7:27 left in the game.
It was the first meeting between the teams.
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