University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota-South Dakota State Notes
12/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME NOTES
Minnesota (9-0) 74, South Dakota State (4-6) 60
December 10, 2008
Attendance: 12,388
Team Notes:
Tubby Smith moved to 29-14 as the head coach of Minnesota, and 416-159 for his career.
Smith is 3-0 against South Dakota State with tonight’s victory. Last year, Smith’s Minnesota team defeated the Jackrabbits 78-72. His Kentucky squad also defeated the Jackrabbits 71-53 to open the 2005-06 season.
The 9-0 start is the best by Tubby Smith in his career.
Minnesota has started off 9-0 for the first time since the 1976-77 season.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 12-0 against South Dakota State, and is 50-1 against teams that have played in the Summit League.
Minnesota is one of 16 teams in the nation that are undefeated at this point in the season.
Minnesota started its fifth different start lineup of the season, as Al Nolen, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Colton Iverson, Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson started tonight’s game.
Minnesota had a season-high 24 assists on the night. It was the most assists by the Golden Gophers since Dec. 12, 2007 when they also had 24 against South Dakota State.
Minnesota’s 14 blocks as a team were its second-highest total of the season. The Golden Gophers had a season-high 17 blocks against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Minnesota had 10 steals on the night. It was the fourth time this year that the Golden Gophers had double-figure steals against their opposition.
Minnesota held South Dakota State off the scoreboard for the first five minutes and 20 seconds of the game. The Jackrabbits shot 0-for-9 during that stretch.
Minnesota limited South Dakota State to 24 first-half points. It was the second-lowest first half total by a Gopher opponent this year. Minnesota has held its opponents below 30 points in the first half in seven of its nine games this year.
Minnesota’s 3 three-pointers made matched a season-low it had previously had against Georgia State and Bowling Green.
Individual Player Notes:
Damian Johnson had a career-high 21 points. It is the fourth time this year Johnson has scored in double figures and the 12th time in his career. Johnson is the fifth Golden Gopher to register a 20-point game this year
Johnson’s 21 points are the most by a Golden Gopher this season.
Johnson also tied a career-high in blocks with five on the night. It matched his previous career-high that he set against Wisconsin on Feb. 3, 2008.
Jamal Abu-Shamala made his 100th career three-pointer in the first half. That moves Abu Shamala into the Minnesota career top 10 list in three-pointers made.
Abu-Shamala had a season-high three assists on the night.
Ralph Sampson III made his first career start tonight against South Dakota State.
Sampson had 10 points on the night for Minnesota. It was his third career double-figure scoring game. He had 10 points in his last game to give him his first back-to-back double-figure scoring games.
Sampson matched a career-high in blocks with four on the night. It matched his previous career-high, which came against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Colton Iverson had four blocks on the night. That was the second-highest total of his career, behind the nine he had against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Al Nolen had a career-high 11 assists on the night to go with eight points and eight rebounds. The eight rebounds were also one off his career-high.
Nolen’s double-figure assists total was the Golden Gophers first since Feb. 2, 2008 when Lawrence Westbrook had 10 at Northwestern. The 11 assists were the most by a Golden Gopher player since Nov. 21, 2001 when Kevin Burleson had 11 assists against UNC-Asheville.
Lawrence Westbrook had 12 points on the night. It was his eighth double-figure scoring game in nine contests this year. It was also the 25th time in his career that he has reached a double-figure point total.
Westbrook had two three-pointers made in the game. It was the eighth time in nine games this year he has made a three-point field goal.
Minnesota (9-0) 74, South Dakota State (4-6) 60
December 10, 2008
Attendance: 12,388
Team Notes:
Tubby Smith moved to 29-14 as the head coach of Minnesota, and 416-159 for his career.
Smith is 3-0 against South Dakota State with tonight’s victory. Last year, Smith’s Minnesota team defeated the Jackrabbits 78-72. His Kentucky squad also defeated the Jackrabbits 71-53 to open the 2005-06 season.
The 9-0 start is the best by Tubby Smith in his career.
Minnesota has started off 9-0 for the first time since the 1976-77 season.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 12-0 against South Dakota State, and is 50-1 against teams that have played in the Summit League.
Minnesota is one of 16 teams in the nation that are undefeated at this point in the season.
Minnesota started its fifth different start lineup of the season, as Al Nolen, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Colton Iverson, Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson started tonight’s game.
Minnesota had a season-high 24 assists on the night. It was the most assists by the Golden Gophers since Dec. 12, 2007 when they also had 24 against South Dakota State.
Minnesota’s 14 blocks as a team were its second-highest total of the season. The Golden Gophers had a season-high 17 blocks against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Minnesota had 10 steals on the night. It was the fourth time this year that the Golden Gophers had double-figure steals against their opposition.
Minnesota held South Dakota State off the scoreboard for the first five minutes and 20 seconds of the game. The Jackrabbits shot 0-for-9 during that stretch.
Minnesota limited South Dakota State to 24 first-half points. It was the second-lowest first half total by a Gopher opponent this year. Minnesota has held its opponents below 30 points in the first half in seven of its nine games this year.
Minnesota’s 3 three-pointers made matched a season-low it had previously had against Georgia State and Bowling Green.
Individual Player Notes:
Damian Johnson had a career-high 21 points. It is the fourth time this year Johnson has scored in double figures and the 12th time in his career. Johnson is the fifth Golden Gopher to register a 20-point game this year
Johnson’s 21 points are the most by a Golden Gopher this season.
Johnson also tied a career-high in blocks with five on the night. It matched his previous career-high that he set against Wisconsin on Feb. 3, 2008.
Jamal Abu-Shamala made his 100th career three-pointer in the first half. That moves Abu Shamala into the Minnesota career top 10 list in three-pointers made.
Abu-Shamala had a season-high three assists on the night.
Ralph Sampson III made his first career start tonight against South Dakota State.
Sampson had 10 points on the night for Minnesota. It was his third career double-figure scoring game. He had 10 points in his last game to give him his first back-to-back double-figure scoring games.
Sampson matched a career-high in blocks with four on the night. It matched his previous career-high, which came against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Colton Iverson had four blocks on the night. That was the second-highest total of his career, behind the nine he had against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
Al Nolen had a career-high 11 assists on the night to go with eight points and eight rebounds. The eight rebounds were also one off his career-high.
Nolen’s double-figure assists total was the Golden Gophers first since Feb. 2, 2008 when Lawrence Westbrook had 10 at Northwestern. The 11 assists were the most by a Golden Gopher player since Nov. 21, 2001 when Kevin Burleson had 11 assists against UNC-Asheville.
Lawrence Westbrook had 12 points on the night. It was his eighth double-figure scoring game in nine contests this year. It was also the 25th time in his career that he has reached a double-figure point total.
Westbrook had two three-pointers made in the game. It was the eighth time in nine games this year he has made a three-point field goal.
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballCinematic Recap: Gophers at Oregon
Thursday, February 19
Highlights: Gophers 61, Oregon 44
Tuesday, February 17
Highlights: Gophers 57, Washington 69
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 62, Maryland 67
Sunday, February 08