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Gophers prove up to the Challenge
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Facing its first big-name opponent of the season, Minnesota remained undefeated and gave the Big Ten a boost against the ACC.
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Follow Myron on TwitterACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE GOPHERS 66, VIRGINIA 56
Up next: 1 p.m. Saturday vs. Cornell • Williams Arena • No TV (830-AM)
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Last season, the Gophers suffered their first loss of the year at a bigger, stronger and more athletic Florida State team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Virginia presented similar obstacles -- on paper -- in this season's Challenge.
But Minnesota, backed by a vibrant Williams Arena crowd of 12,424, did its part to help the Big Ten attempt to win its first challenge in 10 tries with a 66-56 victory over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Entering tonight's final five games of the Challenge, the Big Ten and ACC are tied with three victories apiece.
The Gophers also ran their record to 7-0 for the first time since the 1975-76 season, after recovering from a slow start that included airballs and turnovers in the opening minutes of a nationally televised game.
"It's huge because we feel like we want to hold up our end of the bargain in the Challenge because it is a matchup between premier conferences in the country," Gophers coach Tubby Smith said of the victory.
"This is one where [it] kind of helps us understand that we can play with those teams at that level,'' Smith continued, "even though Virginia's not playing at that level at this point and time."
Freshman center Colton Iverson scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Gophers. Lawrence Westbrook scored 13 points off the bench, and Blake Hoffarber had 12 points, all on three-pointers.
Although the Cavaliers (3-3) were picked to finish at the bottom of the ACC in a preseason poll, the Gophers beat a team that lost to No. 16 Syracuse by only three points on Friday.
The Gophers forced 19 Virginia turnovers -- the Cavaliers' downfall. Virginia also shot only 31.4 percent from the field (16-for-51), while the Gophers made 41.5 percent (22-for-53)
The Gophers won with strong defense that produced 10 steals and blocked seven shots. Minnesota forced 19 turnovers, and the constant pressure confused Virginia, which stayed in the game in spite of its mistakes.
Minnesota only led 32-29 at the half, but the Cavaliers couldn't cease their fumbling ways. Three Virginia turnovers in the first four minutes of the second half gave the Gophers the opening to an 11-4 run that boosted the lead to 43-33.
But Virginia made a late run after the Gophers turned the ball over on consecutive possessions midway through the second half. The Cavaliers, who got 12 points from Jamil Tucker, cut Minnesota's 12-point second- half lead to four with a little more than 10 minutes to play.
A minute later, however, Hoffarber knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the game. Minnesota forced another turnover on the following play, and Jamal Abu-Shamala, the star of the victory over North Dakota State on Saturday, scored to increase the lead to 53-44.
Gophers guard Al Nolen turned Virginia's next turnover -- sensing a trend here? -- into a fast-break dunk to produce another double-digit lead and give Minnesota the momentum it needed down the stretch.
"It was a big game for us; it was on ESPN," Westbrook said. "That's how some games in the Big Ten are going to be. Our shots weren't falling, but we just played tight defense and came out with a win."
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