Gophers roll over Moorhead

The Gophers got offense from up and down their roster in their second exhibition.

By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune

Last update: November 10, 2009 - 12:49 AM

Print this story

Follow Myron on Twitter

GOPHERS 98, MINNESOTA STATE MOORHEAD 49 (EXHIBITION)

Up next: Season opener vs. Tennessee Tech • 7 p.m. Friday • Williams Arena • TV: none (bigtennetwork.com webcast) • Radio: 830-AM

More from Gophers

At the start of the second half in Monday's men's basketball exhibition game, Lawrence Westbrook scored eight consecutive points for the Gophers. But his team didn't need them.

By that time, the Gophers were ahead by 27 points, on their way to a 98-49 victory over NCAA Division II Minnesota State Moorhead.

Last season, the Gophers went 11-3 whenever Westbrook scored 10 points or more. The senior guard had 16 on Monday.

With a deeper roster, however, the Gophers should do a better job of distributing the load, once coach Tubby Smith's third season kicks off Friday with a game against Tennessee Tech at Williams Arena.

Devoe Joseph followed up an 18-point effort in Thursday's exhibition against Minnesota Duluth with a team-high 20 points against MSU Moorhead. Six Gophers players scored at least nine points. And five players had five rebounds or more.

Smith, seeking his 17th consecutive 20-win season, said he expects Joseph to give the Gophers another playmaker at both guard positions this season.

"He really got hot tonight," he said. "I think it helped playing Devoe at the point last year. He's a pretty versatile guy. ... It does force people to have to extend their defense."

Joseph went 5-for-8 from three-point range. Blake Hoffarber scored 14 points and missed only one of his five attempts from deep. As a team, the Gophers made 57 percent of their shots (36-for-63), 61 percent from beyond the arc (14-for-23).

They also blocked 13 shots and forced 24 Dragons turnovers.

"I think our team's very special in the way that we all have a bunch of guys who do many different things," Joseph said. "We have guys we can go to. You know [Ralph Sampson is] going to hit 16-footers, has a nice jump hook. You know Westbrook's going to shoot the ball, he's going to score. Damian [Johnson] can turn around, face up.

"We have so many versatile guys that can do different things that we're just going to look for the best shot every time."

The Gophers have a roster stacked with enough talent to challenge the Big Ten's elite squads, Purdue and Michigan State, two teams that Smith hasn't beaten at Minnesota. But the Gophers will need more than one consistent scorer to accomplish that feat.

The Gophers had three double-digit scorers -- total -- in two losses to the Spartans last season. In a first-round loss to Texas in the NCAA tournament, Westbrook and Jamal Abu-Shamala combined for 32 points, but no other player scored more than six.

"Guys have improved their outside shooting and gotten stronger," Smith said.

He added: "When guys are moving the ball, because good shots start with good passes ... that's why we're shooting the ball well. That's what we'll have to do in order to be a consistent contender in every game."

Recent Gophers stories

Syracuse runs away from No. 6 North Carolina - November 10, 2009

Syracuse runs away from No. 6 North Carolina - Jim Boeheim has always made a point of telling the media not to get too caught up in runs because basketball, especially on the college level, is a game of runs. More