University of Minnesota Athletics
Post Game Notes
3/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 25, 2014
MINNESOTA MEN's BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NIT QUARTERFINAL
#1 MINNESOTA (23-13) 81, #3 SOUTHERN MISS (29-7) 73
WILLIAMS ARENA | MINNEAPOLIS | MARCH 25, 2014
ATTENDANCE: 5,444 (14,625 capacity)
TEAM NOTES
• Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting in men's basketball between Minnesota and Southern Miss.
• Minnesota now owns an all-time record of 11-5 against current members of Conference USA.
• First-year Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino had never faced USM, but is 4-4 versus Conference USA foes, with all but tonight's win taking place during his 2012-13 season at Florida International.
• The Gophers improved to 25-12 all-time in 13 NIT appearances, excluding vacated games.
• Minnesota will make its fifth all-time trip to Madison Square Garden for the NIT, including its second-straight. The Gophers also advanced to New York City in their last NIT appearance, during the 2011-12 season, where they defeated Washington in overtime before falling to Stanford in the title game.
• Minnesota is a No. 1 seed in the NIT for the first time since the tournament was first fully seeded in 2006. The Gophers have twice been a No. 4 seed (2006, 2008), and they were a No. 6 seed in 2012.
• The Gophers combined to make 19-of-21 (.905) free throws in the win, while USM made just 12-of-20 (.600) attempts.
• Minnesota came up with 12 steals as a team, the third time this season that the Gophers finished with 12 or more thefts in a game.
• The Gophers now advance to play the winner of the game between #1 seed Florida State and #3 Louisiana Tech. That game will be played at either 6 or 8 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, April 1 on ESPN2. The championship game will take place at 6 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, April 3 and will be televised on ESPN.
• Minnesota improved to 12-1 this season when wearing its home White uniforms.
• The Gophers were credited for 23 assists on 26 field goals. The assist total is a season-high for Minnesota, topping the 21 assists they dished out in the win against South Dakota State on Dec. 10.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Senior guard Austin Hollins finished with a career-high 32 points to increase his career total to 1,285 points. Hollins passed Blake Hoffarber (1,267 points during 2007-11), Dusty Rychart (1,268 points, 1999-2002), Arriel McDonald (1,273 points, 1991-94) and current teammate Andre Hollins (1,282 points, 2011-present) on Minnesota's all-time scoring list and is now ranks 16th.
• Austin Hollins had 32 points tonight. The last time a Gopher had over 30 points in game was Andre Hollins' 41 point game against Memphis on Nov. 23, 2012.
• In the first half, Austin Hollins was 6-of-9 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, for 18 points. He finished the game 8-of-14 from the field, 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, and 10-of-10 at the free throw line. He added four assists, three steals and two rebounds.
• Austin Hollins played in his 139th career game for the Gophers, which is five more than any other player in the program's history.
• Junior forward Maurice Walker came off the bench to score 12 points and lead all players with nine rebounds. Walker also tied career-highs for assists (4), steals (3) and blocked shots (3).
• Sophomore forward Joey King registered his eighth double-figure scoring game this season by finishing with 15 points on 7-of-13 field goals.
• Junior guard Andre Hollins was limited to five points in the game, but he led all players with seven assists, while also grabbing four rebounds and coming up with a pair of steals.
• Senior guard Maverick Ahanmisi made 2-of-3 treys to finish with six points and two assists in his final home game.
