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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Gophers Fall to Virginia Tech in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
11/28/2022 8:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Pharrel Payne and Ta'Lon Cooper led Minnesota with 13 points apiece and Joshua Ola-Joseph had 11 points, but Virginia Tech defeated the Gophers 67-57 in the opening game of the 24th ACC / Big Ten Challenge.
Payne was 5-of-8 from the field for his fourth game in double-figures this season, and he led Minnesota with six rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots in 27 minutes. Cooper also recorded his fourth game in double-figures for points and added a team-high five assists, three rebounds, and a season-high four steals for the Gophers. Ola-Joseph scored six points in the final 2:16 to record his second double-digit scoring output this season.
Minnesota opened the game 6 of 12 from the field, with five different players scoring, and led 13-11 at the 12:07 mark. Payne tied the game at 22-22 on a dunk with 6:33 remaining, but the Hokies responded with a 13-0 run as part of a 17-5 stretch to close the half with a 39-27 advantage. Payne led the Gophers with eight points and four rebounds at the break, while Cooper had seven points and three assists.
Jamison Battle opened the second half scoring with a deep three-pointer for his first points of the night, cutting the lead to single digits at 39-30, but Virginia Tech answered with a 15-6 run to stretch the lead to 18 points, 54-36. The Hokies' lead grew to 20 points with 4:52 left, but the Gophers closed the game on a 14-4 run with four true freshmen on the floor to cut the final deficit to 67-57.
Tonight's 67-57 ACC / Big Ten Challenge loss was the second all-time meeting between Minnesota and Virginia Tech, and the series is tied 1-1. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge for the Gophers, who are 12-12 in the event's history.
Payne was 5-of-8 from the field for his fourth game in double-figures this season, and he led Minnesota with six rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots in 27 minutes. Cooper also recorded his fourth game in double-figures for points and added a team-high five assists, three rebounds, and a season-high four steals for the Gophers. Ola-Joseph scored six points in the final 2:16 to record his second double-digit scoring output this season.
Minnesota opened the game 6 of 12 from the field, with five different players scoring, and led 13-11 at the 12:07 mark. Payne tied the game at 22-22 on a dunk with 6:33 remaining, but the Hokies responded with a 13-0 run as part of a 17-5 stretch to close the half with a 39-27 advantage. Payne led the Gophers with eight points and four rebounds at the break, while Cooper had seven points and three assists.
Jamison Battle opened the second half scoring with a deep three-pointer for his first points of the night, cutting the lead to single digits at 39-30, but Virginia Tech answered with a 15-6 run to stretch the lead to 18 points, 54-36. The Hokies' lead grew to 20 points with 4:52 left, but the Gophers closed the game on a 14-4 run with four true freshmen on the floor to cut the final deficit to 67-57.
Tonight's 67-57 ACC / Big Ten Challenge loss was the second all-time meeting between Minnesota and Virginia Tech, and the series is tied 1-1. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge for the Gophers, who are 12-12 in the event's history.
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