Mbakwe, Sampson Lead Minnesota Over Bemidji State
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Trevor Mbakwe had 17 points and Ralph Sampson III scored 15, leading Minnesota to a 71-58 exhibition victory over Bemidji State on Tuesday night.
Rodney Williams added 10 points for the Golden Gophers, who outrebounded the Division-II school from Northern Minnesota 45-23.
David Berthene had 21 points and James Ellisor finished with 12 for the Beavers, who didn't look intimidated by the big school in the big city. They hit 10 3-pointers to keep the deficit under double digits for much of the game.
The Gophers weren't able to really put the game away until a 14-2 run ended with under 7:30 to play. They turned the ball over 14 times and struggled when their starters went to the bench.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)