Gopher Game Day Blog -- vs. Southeastern Louisiana

Welcome to tonight's Gopher Game Day Blog, with live updates during this evening's game against the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana University. Minnesota enters the contest with a record of 10-0 following Saturday's 70-64 win versus ninth-ranked Louisville, and the Gophers have earned a national ranking for the first time since 2002. SE Louisiana enters with a mark of 6-4 after defeating Jackson State, 70-51, on Saturday.

Final Score: Minnesota 80, Southeastern Louisiana 71

The Gophers win the game, improving to 11-0 for the first time since 1976-77. The Lions fall to 6-5 with the loss. It marks Minnesota's first victory as a ranked program since a win against Fairleigh-Dickinson on Dec. 13, 2002. The Gophers made 29-of-56 (.518) field goals in the game, including 8-of-18 (.444) from three-point range, and 14-of-19 (.737) free throws in the game. SE Louisiana made 27-of-56 (.482) attempts from the field, but were just 5-of-18 (.278) from beyond the arc. The Lions did make 12-of-14 (.857) foul shots, and held a 31-28 rebounding edge. Minnesota, which received 46 points from its bench, was led in scoring by Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber, who each registered 15 points. Damian Johnson added 13 points for the winners. The Lions were paced by Kevyn Green's 22 points, while Patrick Sullivan chipped in with 15 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

3:03 Second Half - Final Media Timeout

Minnesota's lead is at 76-67 following a three-pointer by SE Louisiana's Warrell Span. The Lions keep hanging in there, and the Gophers' lead has been around 10 points for most of the second half. Westbrrok and Hoffarber each have 15 points to lead the Gophers, while Johnson is the third Minnesota player in double-digits, with 13 points.

5:09 Second Half

Damian Johnson banks one in off the glass for a 70-59 lead. Johnson now has 13 points in the game. On the following passession, Johnson looks inside and finds Colton Iverson for a layup to give Minnesota its largest lead of the night at 72-59, and forcing a Lions' timeout.

7:40 Second Half - Third Media Timeout

Blake Hoffarber makes a great pass ahead to Damian Johnson for a fast-break layup, then hits a three-pointer on the following possession to put Minnesota on top, 65-53 at the 8:08 mark. That remains the score at the third media timeout of the half.

11:57 Second Half - Second Media Timeout

Devoe Joseph will go to the line for three shots after the timeout, as he was fouled by SE Louisiana's Brandon Fortenberry while attempting a three-pointer. The Gophers hold a 10-point lead at 57-47. The Lions' Kevyn Green, who entered the game with an average of 20.0 points per game, leads all scorers with 16 points, while Westbrook paces Minnesota with his 15 points. Joseph only made the final free throw, and Minnesota leads, 58-47.

12:35 Second Half

Devoe Joseph hits a deep three-pointer from the left wing to give Minnesota its biggest advantage of the night, 57-46. Five Gophers have made a trey in the contest, and the Gophers are now 7-of-16 (.438) from behind the line in the game. By comparison, the Lions have made just 3-of-14 (.214) three-pointers on the night.

15:18 Second Half

Jamal Abu-Shamala knocks down a trifecta following the timeout to extend Minnesota's lead to 52-44. The Gophers are 6-of-14 (429) from beyond the arc in the game.

15:23 Second Half - First Media Timeout

The Gophers lead, 49-44, as the teams continue to play a back-and-forth game. The Lions have outscored Minnesota, 8-3, since the Gophers took the 10-point lead at the 17:53 mark of the half.

16:07 Second Half

Westbrook drives the left side for a layup, and is fouled, then makes the free throw to put Minnesota up by eight points, 49-41. Westbrook now has 15 points in the game.

16:33 Second Half

Five straight points by the Lions have cut the Gophers' advantage to 46-41.

17:53 Second Half

A hook shot by Ralph Sampson III gives Minnesota the largest lead of the game, at 46-36.

19:37 Second Half

Lawrence Westbrook opens the second half scoring, and take's over the game's scoring honors, with a jumper in the lane. The Gophers lead, 42-36.

Halftime Score: Minnesota 40, Southeastern Louisiana 36

Travis Busch connects on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from well beyond the line to give the Gophers a four-point halftime lead at 40-36. Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber both have 10 points to pace the Gophers, while the Lions are paced by Patrick Sullivan's 11 points. Sullivan is also the game's leading rebounder, with five boards.

1:21 First Half

Blake Hoffarber makes two free throws to pit the Gophers back on top by a score of 35-33. Minnesota is 7-of-9 (.778) at the free throw line in the opening half.

2:11 First Half - Final Media Timeout

The Gophers lead by a score of 30-29 in this see-saw battle. A trio of three-pointers by SE Louisiana in the past few minutes has kept things tight, but the Lions are just 3-of-11 from beyond the arc, while the Gophers have hit 4-of-9 attempts. Minnesota has tightened up the rebounding battle, and trails in that category, 16-14.

4:57 First Half

Following a three-pointer by the Lions, Lawrence Westbrook makes his second trey of the game for a 28-26 lead, but the Lions make another to get back in front, 29-28.

6:44 First Half

Lawrence Westbrook knocks down a three-pointer from the left corner, giving Minnesota a lead of 23-20.

7:48 First Half - Third Media Timeout

Al Nolen drives the left side, and misses the layup, but Ralph Sampson III gets the tip-in for and 18-16 lead. The Lions tie it at the other end, but Damian Johnson answers with a jumper of his own, and a 20-18 lead in this back-and-forth game. Minnesota has increased its field goal accuracy to 50 percent, having made 9-of-18 attempts, and Hoffarber leads all scorers with six points on 2-of-2 from behind the line.

11:24 First Half

A three-point play by SE Louisiana's DeShawn Patterson gives the Lions a 14-11 advantage. An athletic team, the Lions are outrebounding Minnesota, 12-7.

11:37 First Half - Second Media Timeout

The game remains tied at 11-11. Minnesota has made 5-of-12 (.417) field goals, and the scoring is spread among five players for the Gophers.

12:47 First Half

Minnesota's Travis Busch, who scored a career-high 13 points against Louisville on Saturday, drives the left side for an 11-9 Minnesota lead, but the Lions answer with a putback dunk to tie the score at 11-11.

14:06 First Half

Blake Hoffarber hits the game's first three-pointer, giving the Gophers a 9-7 lead.

15:25 First Half - First Media Timeout

A putback basket by Colton Iverson at the 15:38 mark gives Minnesota its first lead of the night, 6-5. Former Gopher star Kris Humphries is sitting behind the Gophers' bench for tonight's game.

16:34 First Half

Al Nolen makes a shot from the left baseline, and the Gophers trail, 5-4.

17:59 First Half

Jamal Abu-Shamala makes a layup on a nice pass from Al Nolen, and the Gophers tie the game, 2-2.

20:00 First Half - Opening Tip

Minnesota wins the tip, Ralph Sampson misses the first shot for the Gophers, and Brandon Fortenberry opens the scoring for the Lions, 2-0.

Lineup Change

Minnesota had a late lineup change, as Jamal Abu-Shamala replaced Lawrence Westbrook.

Tonight's Starting Lineup

Minnesota (10-0): F #34 Damian Johnson, F #45 Colton Iverson, C #50 Ralph Sampson III, G #0 Al Nolen, G #20 Lawrence Westbrook

Southeastern Louisiana (6-4): F #2 Warrell Span, F #3 Kevyn Green, C #4 Patrick Sullivan, G #1 Chris Cyprian, G #5 Brandon Fortenberry

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