After cracking the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in three years earlier in the day, the Minnesota Golden Gopher men’s basketball team justified their spot by blasting No. 17 Michigan State 81-56 for their second straight upset victory.
The 21st ranked Gophers put themselves in an excellent position early thanks to their effort on the defensive end. Minnesota held Michigan State to 16 percent shooting from the floor in the first half and helped them lead off the game with a 9-0 run.
Marcus Carr's journey to 30 has begun.
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— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) December 29, 2020
With the Spartans unable to buy a bucket, the Gophers opened up their lead thanks to the performance of Liam Robbins. With the junior outscoring Michigan State by himself at one point, his 18 points and nine rebounds played a big role in opening up a 36-16 lead at halftime.
When you know it's your night.@liamrobbins_ // @GopherMBB
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— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) December 29, 2020
With a 20-point lead in hand, the Gophers were never threatened by the Spartans in the second half. Marcus Carr added 19 points to help the Gophers earn their first win against the Spartans since 2017 and ninth win since 2000 (38 games).
The Gophers are now 9-1 on the season and will travel to Madison to take on No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday.
