Gophers Look to Build on Exhibition Victories
Thursday, November 10, 2005

The Minnesota Gophers finished their two-game exhibition series with a 78-64 win over the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Bulldogs. “In these games, you’re looking to build,” said Gophers coach Dan Monson. “Offensively, we did some things—took care of the ball and got in more of a rhythm offensively. Defensively, if we’re going to compete in the Big Ten, we’ve gotta improve.”

Monson gave the Bulldogs credit for their poise and aggressiveness. “These weren’t all our defensive issues,” he added in reference to UMD making 56 percent (9 of 16) of its three-point shots. A pair of three-pointers by junior guard Ryan Breidenbach allowed the Bulldogs to tie and then take a three-point lead over the Gophers late in the first half. Another field goal, by center John Vaudreuil, pushed the UMD lead to 28-23.

Sixth-year senior Adam Boone, who had missed last season with a biceps injury, led the Minnesota comeback. He fired in a three-pointer as the shot clock buzzer sounded to cut the lead to two, followed with a two-point field goal to tie the game, then hit another three-pointer to put Minnesota ahead to stay. Boone later capped the first-half scoring with a three-pointer that rattled in, out, and back in again.

Boone had five three-pointers among his 17 first-half points. He finished the night with 30 points, making 8 of 10 from beyond the arc. Monson noted how Boone often shoots well in practice, and “today he did it with the lights on.”

Asked if Boone had had the green light to shoot, Monson said, “Everybody’s got the green light when they make. I tell them all the time, ‘We can all shoot. We need guys who can make.’ This is a game of confidence. Adam got some confidence. It’s a very fragile sport. Everything’s conttagious. Making’s contagious. So is missing.”

Thanks to Boone’s making, the Gophers had a 36-30 halftime lead. Monson said at halftime he emphasized offensive rebounding, “and our guys really responded to that.” Minnesota got nine of its 14 offensive rebounds in the second half, with J’son Stamper leading the way, getting four offensive rebounds in the second half. For the game, Stamper had five offensive rebounds and led both teams overall with seven rebounds.

The tenacious performance of the Bulldogs kept Monson from giving as much playing time as he would have liked to freshman Brandon Smith, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Damian Johnson, and Zach Puchtel although he added, “Our seniors needed to play tonight.”

Minnesota will open its regular-season non-conference schedule on November 18 against North Dakota State.

Recruits: Monson talked about two players that the Gophers signed to national letters of intent. One is Bryce Webster is a 6-9 center from St. Thomas Academy in St. Paul. “We’re partial, but we think for our program Bryce is the best player in the state. We need the size.” The other is Limar Wilson, a 5-11 guard now playing at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska. Monson said Wilson is a “different kind of point-guard. Rico [Tucker] and Lawrence [McKenzie] are scorers, combo guards. Limar is a set-up guy. Limar is a true point who can set up the offense first and shoot second.”