The Minnesota Golden Gophers snapped a five-game losing streak on Wednesday night, using an 11-0 run late in the second half to earn a victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Gophers were fueled by an 18-point performance from Jamison Battle, who shot 6-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-9 on 3-point attempts as he helped the Gophers go into halftime with a 36-25 lead.
The Gophers expanded their lead to 39-27 on a Ta’lon Cooper 3-pointer with 18:17 to go but the Golden Lions came roaring back with a 9-0 run to make it a three-point game.
Minnesota tried to pull away from there but Arkansas-Pine Bluff continued to keep themselves in the game with a 32-18 advantage in points in the paint.
With the Gophers up 56-53, Braeden Carrington jumpstarted the run with a 3-pointer with 7:11 to play. Battle knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the run and the Gophers finally had the cushion they needed to put the Lions away.
Carrington finished with a team-high 20 points for the Gophers while Dawson Garcia added 14 points and seven rebounds. Kylen Milton led the Golden Lions with 19 points, five rebounds and nine assists while Shaun Doss Jr. had 18 points and four rebounds.
The Gophers will be back in action on Dec. 22 when they host Chicago State.
