Final for the #Gophers ACC/B1G Challenge. pic.twitter.com/hAV9Z7y3eI
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) December 3, 2014
After a back-and-forth first half, the Gopher men’s basketball team pulled away during the second half to beat Wake Forest 84-69 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
It was Minnesota’s fourth consecutive challenge game win.
After the teams battled through the first 20 minutes, Minnesota opened the second half on 16-3 run. The Gophers knocked down their first seven shots of the second half.
Minnesota made a season-high 12 three-pointers in the game and shot 57 percent from the floor during the decisive second half.
It was a big night for Gophers guard Andre Hollins, who led the way with 27 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Carlos Morris finished with 15 points and had eight steals.
Joey King added 14 as he made four threes and Maurice Walker chipped in with 10 points.
But it was far from smooth sailing for the Gophers as they turned it over a season-high 20 times and had to overcome foul trouble in the second half. They sent the Demon Deacons to the free throw line 28 times in the final 20 minutes.
The Gophers (5-2) are off until Friday when they host Western Carolina at Williams Arena.
