Gophers shake problems to remain unbeaten

A rough stomach held the Gophers’ leading scorer out of Thursday night’s game, but a first-half shooting bug didn’t prevent No. 24 Minnesota from earning another home victory.
Senior guard Lawrence Westbrook did not play because of food poisoning, according to head coach Tubby Smith, but the Gophers still overcame 29 percent shooting through most of the first half to defeat Utah Valley 76-51 at Williams Arena.
Smith said Westbrook hasn’t been at practice the past couple days, but that he would be fine for the Gophers’ game against No. 11 Butler at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.
To overcome Westbrook’s absence on Thursday night, Minnesota got 17 points from freshman forward Rodney Williams, who led all scorers and also had four of the Gophers’ 15 steals in his first collegiate start.
“Rodney really gave us a heck of a boost today in the game,” junior point guard Al Nolen said.
The Gophers looked like they could have used Westbrook when they had made just seven of 24 fie ld goals and clung to a 21-20 lead with just over three minutes to go in the first half.
Smith said that the Gophers didn’t have Westbrook’s ability to attack the basket early in the game, but they settled in to score 26 points in the paint in the second half.
“It’s kind of like a good football game: you’ve got to soften ‘em up down the middle and then you’ve got to hit ‘em with the outside [shots],” Smith said.
As they had in their previous two games, the Gophers went on a run before halftime. They made five of 11 field goals in the final three minutes before halftime to take a 32-24 lead.
Senior forward Damian Johnson made two layups to start the stretch. He said that after the Gophers’ usual multi-player substitutions early in the game, they have started realizing the need to make a run.
“Guys are starting to get into the flow toward the end of the first half,” Johnson said.
It took the Gophers a little longer to completely pull away from the Wolverines, who twice closed the gap to 7 points in the second half.
Williams scored 8 straight points for Minnesota in a two-minute stretch that pushed the Gophers’ lead to double digits for good. He also had 8 of Minnesota’s 14 fast-break points.
“With Rodney being so athletic, he can really get out and run the floor on the breaks…and he can finish at the basket, [but] if teams back off him, he can hit the open three, so it really opens it up for everybody else,” Nolen said.
Utah Valley shot the best of Minnesota’s three opponents so far but committed 26 turnovers, including 15 steals by Minnesota. The Gophers scored 30 points off of Wolverines turnovers while committing just five of their own, their fewest since committing just four against Indiana on Jan. 24, 2004.
Minnesota finished the game on a 13-0 run.

Box score:
No. 24 MINNESOTA 76, UTAH VALLEY 51
UTAH VALLEY (1-2)
Scoubes 2-7 0-0 6, Baker 1-3 2-4 4, England 2-2 0-0 4, Petty 3-8 0-0 8, Woods 4-8 0-0 9, Dearden 3-6 2-2 8, Swarbrick 4-8 2-2 11, Fannon 0-0 1-2 1, Holm 0-0 0-0 0, Jenson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-42 7-10 51.
MINNESOTA (3-0)
Johnson 7-10 0-0 15, Williams 7-12 3-4 17, Sampson 3-4 3-4 9, Joseph 3-13 1-1 8, Nolen 2-7 7-8 11, Iverson 0-0 0-2 0, Hoffarber 2-6 0-0 6, Cobbs 0-1 0-0 0, Carter 3-10 3-4 10. Totals 27-63 17-23 76.
Halftime — Minnesota 32-24. 3-Point Goals — Utah Valley 6-13 (Petty 2-3, Scoubes 2-5, Woods 1-1, Swarbrick 1-2, Dearden 0-2), Minnesota 5-19 (Hoffarber 2-5, Johnson 1-2, Carter 1-2, Joseph 1-5, Nolen 0-2, Williams 0-3). Rebounds — Utah Valley 34 (Petty 9), Minnesota 29 (Johnson 6, Williams 6). Assists — Utah Valley 12 (Petty 4), Minnesota 21 (Nolen 7). Total Fouls — Utah Valley 18, Minnesota 13. A — 11,912.