University of Minnesota Athletics
Fast Break: Maryland
2/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SERIES, ETC.
Tonight's game was just the sixth all-time meeting, with Maryland now holding a 5-1 lead in the series. The game was the third meeting in Minneapolis, with the Terps holding a 2-1 edge in those games, but tonight's game was the first at the Barn with both schools members of the Big Ten. Richard Pitino is now 1-1 versus Maryland. Coach Pitino's third-year record at Minnesota now stands at 50-47, and his four-year career mark is 68-61.
PITINO'S 50TH
The win was head coach Richard Pitino's 50th at Minnesota, and his second against a team ranked among the Associated Press Top 10. The Gophers' last win against an AP Top 10 team was an 81-68 victory against No. 9 Wisconsin during Pitino's first season on Jan. 22, 2014.
STARTING FIVE
For the seventh time this season (sixth straight), head coach Richard Pitino utilized a starting lineup of junior Charles Buggs, sophomores Bakary Konate and Nate Mason, and freshmen Dupree McBrayer and Jordan Murphy. Mason is the lone Minnesota player to have started all 26 games for the Gophers this season.
KNOCKING DOWN TRIFECTAS EARLY
Minnesota jumped out to an early lead by making six of its first eight three-point attempts, and finished the opening half at 7-of-13 from beyond the arc to take an 11-point lead into the locker room at the break. Joey King was 3-of-5 from long-range in the first half, and Nate Mason made 2-of-3 treys. Mason had 11 points and six assists at the half, while King came off the bench for nine points. For the game, Minnesota finished at 8-of-23 (.348) from behind the three-point line.
MASON LEADS THE WAY
Nate Mason's solid guard play continued, as he led the Gophers with 18 points and six assists, while also grabbing six rebounds and coming up with a pair of steals in 36 minutes. The point total was Mason's team-leading 20th double-figure game this season.
MR. DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Jordan Murphy recorded his team-leading seventh point-rebound double-double of the season, and his second in Big Ten play, finishing with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Murphy made 7-of-8 free throws, including some critical ones late in the game. In Big Ten play, he's averaging 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
KING POURS IN 15
Joey King helped Minnesota to a 24-2 advantage in bench points, as he came off the bench for 15 points and six rebounds. King made 3-of-8 three-pointers, and he was 6-of-6 at the free throw line. It was King's third-straight double-figure scoring effort, and the most for the senior since he scored 20 against Illinois on Jan. 23.
FRESHMAN GUARD COMBO
Minnesota's freshman backcourt combo of Dupree McBrayer and Kevin Dorsey played key roles for the Gophers. McBrayer finished with nine points, a career-best four steals, four assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes, while Dorsey had seven points, three rebounds and an assist in 29 minutes. Dorsey is from Waldorf, Md.
