In Ralph Sampson III's first game back after missing two with a tweaked left ankle, Rodney Williams was once again the star, finishing with his best, most complete game yet this season and leading the team down the stretch. Some notes from the 70-56 win over Appalachian State:
- Sampson came off the bench Tuesday and played 19 minutes overall. He finished with 10 points – four of which came in the final two minutes – and five rebounds, remarkably his best game since the second of the season.
- Williams finished with 18 points, six rebounds, five blocks, a steal and an assist. With the game tied at 52 with five minutes left, he keyed a 15-4 run and turned the momentum.
- Julian Welch took over most of the point guard duties for Andre Hollins -- who was playing on a turned ankle – and finished with 15 points, but also had four turnovers.
- Joe Coleman had one of his best games of the year in a 10-point, two-assist performance.
- Chip Armelin and Maverick Ahanmisi stepped up down the stretch with solid spot performances off the bench.
- In the first half, the Gophers struggled against the three-pointer with Rodney Milum hitting four, but they held the Mountaineers to just 27.3 percent from the arc in the second.
- 22 of the Gophers 30 shots came in the paint.
More from Star Tribune
More from Star Tribune
More from Star Tribune
More From Star Tribune
More From Star Tribune
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in Donetsk.
Election
In heated western Minn. GOP congressional primary, outsiders challenging incumbent
U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach has a solidly conservative voting record. But Steve Boyd, a Christian conservative who has never held public office, is gaining traction as an outsider.
Sports
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame: A class-by-class list of all members
Who's in the Star Tribune Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame? From Bernie Bierman to the latest class, here's the list:
Sports
This retired journalist changed professional wrestling from Mankato
Norm Kietzer was a pioneer in professional wrestling journalism for 40 years.