The Gophers’ first two wins of the season didn’t come easy, but the third did.

The Gophers (3-1) ran out to a big lead the first half against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-2) and cruised to a 76-53 victory Saturday in the opening game of the Subway Classic at Williams Arena.

Led once again by senior China Antoine, who had 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting from behind the arc as well as 11 assists, the Gophers gained a big lead early and never relinquished it.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee shot just 22 percent from the field in the first half and went more than seven minutes without a field goal. The Gophers went into the break leading 37-20.

The Panthers were outscored by just six points in the second half and nearly doubled their field goal percentage from the first half, but the damage was already done.

The Gophers shot 9-for-17 from three-point range, while Wisconsin-Milwaukee consistently whiffed from behind the arc, finishing 3-for-25.

The GophersâÄô superior shooting percentage was a product of how well they distributed the ball, tallying 25 assists on 30 field goals.

Senior Kiara Buford added 15 points, while junior Jackie Voigt added eight along with six rebounds.

The Gophers will face the winner of Dayton and South Dakota Sunday in the championship game.