MINNEAPOLIS — In a spirited matchup on Sunday, Mike Mitchell Jr. distinguished himself by scoring 22 points, all during the first half, leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a resounding 90-68 victory over Morgan State.
Dawson Garcia contributed significantly with 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Parker Fox added 11 points to the tally, while Frank Mitchell also played a key role with 10 points for Minnesota, who improved their record to 8-5.
The game was competitive initially, with seven lead changes occurring within the first four minutes. However, Minnesota quickly gained momentum, launching a 10-2 run that put them ahead 22-13. From that point onward, the Golden Gophers maintained their lead firmly, showcasing their shooting prowess by connecting on 59% of their shots in the opening half, concluding with 55 points. Mitchell was particularly impressive, going 8 for 8 from the field and hitting all six attempts from beyond the arc, though he did not score in the second half. By halftime, Minnesota held a comfortable lead of 55-37.
As the second half commenced, Minnesota’s accuracy dipped to 43%, resulting in only 35 points being scored. Despite this decline, Morgan State was unable to cut the deficit to fewer than 15 points throughout the period. Minnesota’s largest advantage reached 27 points at two different instances, the final being when Caleb Williams drained a 3-pointer, elevating the score to 86-59 with four minutes left in the contest.
On the Morgan State side, Kameron Hobbs led the charge with 25 points, complemented by six rebounds and four assists. Daniel Akitoby contributed a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Rob Lawson added another 11 points to the Bears’ total.
Both teams were disciplined with the ball, recording only 11 turnovers collectively; Morgan State committed six while Minnesota had five. Each team managed to capitalize on turnovers, scoring four points off the other’s mistakes.
For Minnesota, who currently holds a 0-2 record in the Big Ten, the next challenge awaits as they prepare to host No. 21 Purdue on Thursday, followed by a matchup against Ohio State on January 6.