University of Minnesota Athletics
MBB: Gophers Advance to Semifinals of Great Alaska Shootout
11/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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The University of Minnesota men's basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the Great Alaska Shootout Wednesday with a 84-69 win over Furman in front of 6,889 fans in Anchorage, Alaska. The Gophers move to 2-0 on the year and will face the 18th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, an easy 90-55 winner over Division II Alaska Anchorage, in Friday's first semifinal at 8:30 p.m., Central Time.
Junior Vincent Grier led the five Gophers in double figures with 24 points, 7-of-14 from the field and 10-of-11 from the line. Grier also led the Maroon and Gold with six rebounds, five assists and four steals in 37 minutes. J'son Stamper and Rico Tucker added 11 points each and Dan Coleman and Jeff Hagen had 10.
Minnesota jumped to a 9-0 lead out of the gate a layup by Brent Lawson, a dunk and a layup by Grier and a three-pointer from Coleman. Furman closed to within 16-14 on two Tony Carter free throws, but would get no closer for the rest of the game. Tucker was especially strong in the first half hitting three 3-pointers, the last to put the Gophers up, 34-21, with 3:48 left. Furman closed the gap to six at 36-30 with 2:19 left, but Stamper scored the last five points of the half for the Gophers to send Minnesota to the locker room up 41-33.
The Gophers again jumped on the Paladins to start the second half with a 14-4 run to lead by 18 with 15:14 left. A three-pointer from Aaron Robinson started the run followed by six straight layups, one by Coleman, two by Grier, one by Hagen and two by Stamper. Furman closed the gap to 12 at 57-45 on a three-pointer by Quan Prowell, but the Gophers responded with the next five points with another Grier layup and a three by Brent Lawson.
Things got a little dicey for the Gophers down the stretch with the Paladins cutting the lead to nine three times inside the 5-minute mark, but Minnesota made 14 straight free throws down the stretch to ice the win. Grier was named the Player of the Game for his performance.
Furman was led by Moussa Diagne with 21 points, Prowell had 14 and Eric Webb added 12. Minnesota held Furman to just 9-of-28 from beyond the arc and outrebounded the Paladins 29-24.
