By DAVE GUFFEY
The University of Minnesota’s three starting guards combined for 50 points to lead the Golden Gophers to an 84-58 win over the visiting University of Montana Grizzlies Tuesday night in Williams Arena (attendance 10,459).
It was Montana’s (0-1) season opener, while Minnesota improves to 2-0.
Junior guard Jordan Gregory scored the first points of the contest on a three-pointer, giving the Griz a very early 3-0 lead just 19:12 into the game. Guard Andre Hollins, a 6-2 junior, followed Gregory’s trey with a tip-in and then canned a three-point shot, giving the Golden Gophers a 5-3 edge, and the home team led the rest of the way.
Montana cut the Minnesota lead to four points (19-15) on a three-pointer by true freshman guard Brandon Gfeller with 10:52 left in the first half. UM cut the Gophers’ lead to single digits several times after Gfeller’s trey in the opening stanza, but a lay-up by 5-9 junior guard DeAndre Mathieu gave them a 37-26 lead, and the home team led by double-digits the rest of the way. Minnesota led 40-26 at halftime.
The second half was more of the same, and the Grizzlies never could get closer than 16 points in the final 20 minutes of play. The last time Montana trailed by that margin was with 8:13 left to play on a lay-up by senior guard-forward Kareem Jamar made the score 61-45, Gophers.
Jamar, the Big Sky Conferences’s MVP last season, was the Grizzlies’ only player in double figures with 18 points, including 11 in the second half. He was 6-of-12 from the field and made 5-of-8 free throws.
Gregory and fellow junior guard Keron DeShields scored 8 points each, while Gfeller added 6, and true freshman point guard Mario Dunn tallied 5 points in 27 minutes of action.
Andre Hollins scored a game-high 24 points. Also in double figures for the Golden Gophers were Mathieu with 15 points and 6-4 senior guard Austin Hollis with 11. Austin Hollins pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, and Minnesota out-rebounded the Griz 45 to 29.
Montana continues its road trip at South Dakota State on Thursday, Nov. 14, in a 6:00 p.m. game in Frost Arena. Last season the Jackrabbits defeated the Grizzlies 68-67 in double overtime in Missoula.
MONTANA (0-1): Jamar, Kareem 6-12 5-8 18; Deshields, Keron 3-11 2-3 8; Gregory, Jordan 2-6 2-2 8; Gfeller, Brandon 2-3 0-1 6; Weisner, Mike 2-5 0-0 5; Dunn., Mario 2-5 1-4 5; Lopez, Jack 2-4 0-1 4; Emerson, Nick 1-1 0-1 2; Hutchison, Eric 0-0 2-2 2; Martin, Andy 0-1 0-0 0; Kemp, Chris 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 20-50 12-22 – 58.
MINNESOTA (2-0): Hollins, Andre 8-14 5-5 24; Mathieu, DeAndre 4-9 5-6 15; Hollins, Austin 4-82-4 11; Osenieks, Oto 3-5 1-2 9; King, Joey 3-7 3-4 9; Eliason, Elliott 2-7 2-4 6; Smith, Malik 1-6 0-0 3; Buggs, Charles 1-1 0-0 3; Ellenson, Wally 1-3 0-0 3; Ahanmisi, Maverick 0-1 1-3 1; McNeil, Daquein 0-0 0-0 0; Shell, Kendal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-61 19-28 84.
Montana…………………… 26 32 – 58
Minnesota………………… 40 44 – 84
3-point goals–Montana 6-22 (Gfeller, Brandon 2-3; Gregory, Jordan 2-6; Jamar, Kareem 1-5; Weisner, Mike 1-3; Lopez, Jack 0-2; Dunn, Mario 0-1; Deshields, Keron 0-2). Minnesota 11-25 (Hollins, Andre 3-7; Mathieu, DeAndre 2-2; Osenieks, Oto 2-2; Buggs, Charles 1-1; Hollins, Austin 1-4; Ellenson, Wally 1-2; Smith, Malik 1-5; Ahanmisi, Maverick 0-1; King, Joey 0-1).
Fouled out–Montana-None, Minnesota-King, Joey.
Rebounds–Montana 29 (Jamar, Kareem 6), Minnesota 45 (Hollins, Austin 10)
Assists–Montana 10 (Deshields, Keron 3), Minnesota 14 (Mathieu, DeAndre 5).
Total fouls–Montana 26, Minnesota 21.
Technical fouls–Montana-None, Minnesota-None.
Attend.-10,459
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