Newly ranked Gophers win easily over NDSU 84-65

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Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Blake Hoffarber scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting to pace No. 15 Minnesota to an 84-65 decision over North Dakota State.

Trevor Mbakwe chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds, and Colton Iverson added nine and 11 for the Gophers (6-0), who were coming off a Puerto Rico Tip-Off title.

Michael Tveidt and Drew Lundberg netted 14 and 11 points, respectively, to lead the Bison (3-2), who had won three in a row since a season-opening overtime loss at Oregon.

Minnesota scored the final 13 points of the first half to turn a three-point lead into a healthy halftime margin.

Taylor Braun drained a three-pointer to get NDSU within 29-26 with just over four minutes left, but the Bison went silent the rest of the stanza. The Gophers made 7-of-10 from the foul line during the subsequent flurry, and Hoffarber's bucket in the closing seconds made it a 42-26 game.

The Bison slowly chipped away at the deficit and trailed 50-44 following Lundberg's jumper with 12 1/2 minutes remaining.

Hoffarber answered with a make from long range, and Austin Hollins added a layup to push to cushion back to double digits near the midway point.

It was a 13-point contest, 69-56, before Mbakwe scored six quick points in a little under a minute, and the Bison never seriously challenged down the stretch.

Tags: minnesota sports, proam, basketball, gophers