Dre Hollins’s free throws with .4 seconds lift Gophers over Stanford
By Frank Bi
Nov 24, 2012; Paradise Island, BAHAMAS; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Maverick Ahanmisi (13) dribbles as Stanford Cardinal guard Robbie Lemons (10) defends during the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE
Take that NIT.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Stanford Cardinal 66-63 Saturday in the 5th place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The game was a rematch of the NIT championship in March, in which Stanford won by more than 20 points.
Coming off a 41 point performance on Friday in an upset victory over No. 19 Memphis, Dre Hollins only scored 8 points on 1-for-8 shooting, but after being fouled on a half court shot with .4 seconds left while attempting to break a 63-all tie, Hollins made the baskets that mattered most, draining all three free throws, leading his team to another wild win.
Trevor Mbakwe had 19 points for the Gophers while grabbing 12 rebounds in his first double-double of the year. On defense, he had his hands full guarding 6-foot-10-inch forward Dwight Powell, who scored 22 points.
Rodney Williams and Joe Coleman also added double-digit point totals for Minnesota, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Turnovers were again an issue for the Gopher guards. As a team, Minnesota committed 17 turnovers.
Minnesota out rebounded and had more assists than Stanford, while holding the Pac-12 team to 35 percent shooting.
With the victory, the Gophers conclude their three game adventure in the Bahamas, winning two of three.
Minnesota will travel to Florida on Tuesday to play Florida State in a nationally televised game, likely with a top-25 ranking next to their name.