Gophers Romp as Wolters Sits
December 4, 2012
The real drama of the basketball game between Minnesota and South Dakota State on December 4 took place when the opening lineups were posted on the new Williams Arena scoreboard. Missing was the number of SDSU’s star point guard Nate Wolters, victim of a practice-related ankle injury
Last season, the 6-4 Minnesotan (St. Cloud) was the only player in the country to average 20 points, five assists, and five rebounds per game. Wolters led the Jackrabbits to the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament, where his team lost to Baylor, 68-60. He is projected as a NBA draft pick. Last night, he never left his team’s bench.
A murmur went up from the small SDSU contingent at Williams Arena when the game started without Wolters and continued as Gopher guard Andre Hollins made a three-point basket for a 3-0 Minnesota lead. SDSU supporters went silent and, for the most part, remained so throughout the match. Soon it was 20-10 Minnesota, and the Jackrabbits had no chance. The Gopher lead was stretched to 48-24 at the half.
Hollins kept scoring, hitting six of seven three-pointers before the break. No Jackrabbit had more than six points.
“It’s tough to play without your best player,” Gopher coach Tubby Smith said after the game. “It’s easy to see what Wolters means to their program.” At the same time, he lauded Hollins’ effort for his team. “Andre set the tone for the whole game,” he said. “His scoring gave us a comfortable lead, yet he was unselfish in that he distributed the ball well.”
Coach Smith substituted liberally throughout the contest with little noticeable difference in the quality of play.
“We have talented players coming off the bench,” he said. “Our practice sessions are very competitive.”
Smith praised his team’s defensive effort, one that resulted in SDSU’s inability to penetrate the middle. The Jackrabbits instead relied on shots from beyond the three-point arc. At halftime six of SDSU’s nine field goals were three-pointers. For the game, the Jackrabbits shot 41 percent from the three-point line and made 11 of the team’s baskets from that distance. Jordan Dykstra led SDSU with 17 points in the 88-64 loss to the Gophers.
Andre Hollins finished with 22 points, followed by Austin Hollins with 17 and Joe Coleman with 15. Overall, the Gophers shot 57 percent from the field, a season high.