Trevor Mbakwe came off the bench to lead the Gophers to a 70-57 win over North Dakota State Tuesday night at Williams Arena. Mbakwe finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds — his second double-double of the season. His 18 rebounds set a career-high.
Rodney Williams led all scorers with 19 points, and he electrified the home crowd with a 360-degree dunk in the first half.
NDSU kept the game within three-points before the Gophers closed the first half with an 8-0 run. Minnesota improved to 11-1 with the win.
Freshman Wally Ellenson played for the first time since breaking his hand earlier this year. There had been speculation whether he would be given a redshirt this season, but it turns out he won’t. He went 1-2 from the free throw line for his first point as a Gopher.
The Gophers have the next ten days to focus on practice and school finals. They close the non-conference portion of the schedule December 22nd against the Lafeyette Leopards. The Big Ten season begins New Years Eve against Michigan State.
