Gophers gameday

9:30 A.M. VS. Missouri State • Puerto Rico Tip-Off, San Juan • TV: ESPNU

Minnesota at a glance: Sophomore guard Nate Mason finished with 20 points in the Gophers' 75-70 loss vs. Temple, giving him double-digit totals for all three games this season. Mason also has collected 16 assists to just three turnovers, a 5.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, sixth-best nationally among players who have competed in three games. Minnesota has not bested a team in rebounds once this season after matching Temple with 36. The Gophers have allowed opponents to get offensive rebounds on 23.6 percent of their possessions (42 offensive rebounds in three games), which ranks 259th out of 351 teams nationally.

Missouri State at a glance: The Bears lost to No. 22 Butler 93-59 on Thursday, managing to connect on just 33.9 percent from the field. Missouri State also lost its opener at Oral Roberts. The Bears, who averaged 59.7 points a game a year ago, shot just 40.7 percent from the field in that game. Dequon Miller, the 5-10 guard who is the most highly touted of three junior college players that coach Paul Lusk brought to Springfield this summer, finished with a team-high 15 points vs. Butler to bounce back from an 0-6 performance from the field vs. Oral Roberts. Only one other player notched more than nine. Missouri State ranked 33rd nationally with a 74 percent average from the free-throw line a year ago.

AMELIA RAYNO