Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Daily Email Edition

Get MN Daily NEWS delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

By demonizing pleasure, we set ourselves up for unfulfilling sex lives.
Opinion: Let’s talk about sex
Published March 27, 2024

Hoffarber dazzles as Gophers rout Bison

Senior guard Al Nolen drives the ball against Winona State November 8 at Williams Arena.
Image by Mark Vancleave, Daily File Photo
Senior guard Al Nolen drives the ball against Winona State November 8 at Williams Arena.

For Blake Hoffarber, it was just one of those nights.
MinnesotaâÄôs senior guard hit from short, medium and long and finished the game with 24 points, including 15 in the first half, as the No. 15 Gophers rolled North Dakota State 84-65 Wednesday night at Williams Arena.
The GophersâÄô biggest three-point threat created more of his own shots than usual and went 10-for-16 from the field (both career highs) despite battling an ankle injury.
âÄúI was doing what they were giving me,âÄù Hoffarber said. âÄúThey were coming right up on me and I was coming off screens, and one or two dribbles and a pull up was there, and it kept being there the rest of the night.âÄù
Before the season, coach Tubby Smith made it clear he wanted the captain to become more than a three-point shooter. Entering WednesdayâÄôs game, 43 of HoffarberâÄôs 53 shot attempts came from beyond the arc, but heâÄôs beginning to look more comfortable closer in.
âÄúHeâÄôs curling to the basket, heâÄôs getting to the basket and heâÄôs making a lot of short shots,âÄù Smith said. âÄúPeople are crowding him and making him put it on the floor, so heâÄôs really worked extremely hard on trying to create offense off the dribble.âÄù
Minnesota went on a 13-0 run over the final 4:19 of the first half to take a 42-26 lead into the break and pulled away late in the second half after holding off multiple Bison runs. North Dakota State managed to close the gap to seven in the second half, but had no answer for Hoffarber.
âÄúTheyâÄôre flat out good,âÄù Bison coach Saul Phillips said. âÄúI donâÄôt like losing. It takes a little bit of the sting out of it knowing you lost to a good basketball team thatâÄôs playing very well right now.âÄù
The Gophers came into WednesdayâÄôs game fresh off winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, a tournament that included wins over No. 25 North Carolina and West Virginia. The idea that Minnesota was ripe for an upset excited Phillips, but the Gophers proved to be a mature team.
âÄúWeâÄôve been playing pretty good, and I think itâÄôs going to take a team playing pretty well to beat us,âÄù Smith said.
Junior wing Rodney Williams did not play in the second half after suffering what Smith said could be a high-ankle sprain. He left the arena in a boot and is expected to undergo an MRI on Friday.
Williams’ injury meant the Gophers bench had to step up, and multiple players did. Junior Colton Iverson led the backups with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds while freshman Austin Hollins scored eight points and had four assists.
Senior guard Al Nolen had five assists to lead the Gophers, who had assists on 23 of their 27 baskets. Although Nolen scored just four points, he nabbed five steals and thoroughly impressed Phillips.
âÄúHe screws things up out there,âÄù Phillips said of Nolen. âÄúHeâÄôs not any fun to play against.âÄù
Forward Trevor Mbakwe continued his impressive first season with the Gophers, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The junior transfer also blocked two shots, helping Minnesota reach 12 blocks compared to the BisonâÄôs one.
The Gophers had a clear size advantage over North Dakota State (no one taller than 6-foor-9) that sparked Phillips to start his postgame press conference by saying, âÄúWow, theyâÄôre big.âÄù
The Gophers determination to go inside throughout the game resulted in 32 free throw attempts âÄî though they made just 21 âÄî to the BisonâÄôs 11. Minnesota did struggle rebounding in the early stages of the game, but they battled back and finished with a 47-34 edge on the glass.
Including Wednesday, the tournament and a game against Siena, the Gophers have played five games in nine days and relish an upcoming break. Their next game isnâÄôt until Nov. 29 against Virginia, part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and Minnesota will use the time off to heal some wounds to Hoffarber, Nolen and Williams.
Until then, the Gophers will work hard to keep playing at this level.
âÄúPeople in Minnesota have something to be excited about,âÄù Phillips said.
Notes
-Freshman forward Mo Walker scored six points and went 2-for-2 on three-pointers. He also grabbed four rebounds, but whenever he had the ball beyond the arc, fans called for him to shoot again.
âÄúMo has got good touch, so thatâÄôs a good weapon to have,âÄù Smith said.

 

Leave a Comment

Accessibility Toolbar

Comments (0)

All The Minnesota Daily Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *