Reggie Lynch has been the Big Ten's best shot blocker this season, but the Gophers center had to remind everyone that he could be a dominant scoring presence as well.
The 6-10, 260-pound junior from Edina recorded his seventh game this season with at least three blocks Sunday, but he also tied a career high with 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 77-57 victory over Northern Illinois in front of an announced 8,625 at Williams Arena.
It has been a long time since the Gophers (10-1) had a center who could dominate a game offensively and defensively.
"I think he is one of the better centers in the league," coach Richard Pitino said. "He played hard and showed really good leadership. He can continue to get better but overall is a game-changer for us."
Lynch, who sat out last season after transferring from Illinois State, is averaging 3.7 blocks per game, tops in the conference and fifth nationally. He hadn't been as much of a presence on the offensive end, averaging 7.4 points per game over his previous seven games.
Pitino said he believed it would take time for Lynch to get comfortable. He missed a month of preseason practice after surgery on a torn meniscus and sat out the Southern Illinois game Nov. 25 because of injury.
"I feel like I had my groove the whole time, even with injuries," Lynch said. "It obviously was a setback to have a little bit of pain in the ankle and the knee from the start of the season. But even with the injuries, I know how to play the game. My teammates are finding me, and everyone is playing really well."
Nate Mason, Akeem Springs and Dupree McBrayer were among five Gophers to reach double figures in scoring and combined for 31 points from the backcourt Sunday. But Lynch and Jordan Murphy combined for 19 points in the second half, including 10 during a 21-9 run that helped the Gophers pull away after Northern Illinois (4-5) cut it to 31-29 with 18:10 left.
Murphy had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Gophers, giving them two players with double-doubles in the same game for the first time since Murphy and Joey King did it last December against South Dakota.
Both Murphy and Lynch said a turning point for them this season was when they were overpowered physically in a 75-67 loss at Florida State on Nov. 28. They combined for 12 points on 2-for-12 shooting against the towering frontcourt of 7-1 Michael Ojo and 6-11 Jonathan Issac, who had 26 points and 18 rebounds together.
"It changed the attitude of our team," Murphy said. "We just really started to focus on being more physical and just being tougher, both mentally and physically."
On Nov. 22 against Arkansas, Lynch sat for most of the second half after hurting his ankle. But he outplayed Southeastern Conference preseason Player of the Year Moses Kingsley through 20 minutes.
Lynch, who had nine blocks against St. John's on Nov. 18, blocked six shots and shut down Vanderbilt 7-foot NBA prospect Luke Kornet in a Dec. 3 Gophers victory in Sioux Falls.
The 22-year-old junior got fired up for another matchup with a highly regarded center Sunday. Northern Illinois 6-11 senior Marin Maric was a preseason All-Mid-American Conference pick. He came in leading the Huskies with 14.6 points. But Maric had only nine points and five rebounds before fouling out.
On a day when their outside shots weren't falling, the Gophers dominated the rebounding 48-28 and put together another strong defensive effort. They shot only 4-for-15 percent from three-point range but held Northern Illinois to 37 percent shooting.
Hill-Murray product Marshawn Wilson had 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting for the Huskies, but his teammates shot a combined 15-for-46. Northern Illinois became the ninth Gophers opponent to shoot below 40 percent from the floor this season.