Gopher men down Arkansas-Pine Bluff 86-67, stay perfect against the SWAC

Dawson Garcia scored 19 points and reserve Cam Christie scored 14 and Minnesota beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 86-67 on Tuesday night.

Garcia finished 8-for13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 12 points and Elijah Hawks 10 for Minnesota (4-1). The Golden Gophers (31 of 69) shot 44.9% overall, however, inside the 3-point line they finished 20-for-33 (60.6%) shooting.

Rashad Williams led the Golden Lions (3-3) with 26 points shooting 6 for 11 from 3-point range but just 2 for 9 inside the arc. Lonnell Martin Jr. added 14 points for UAPB.  

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Christie made two free throws to break a 13-all tie with 13:54 before halftime. Braeden Carrington made a 3-pointer and from there Minnesota gradually began to distance itself. The Golden Gophers led 51-36 at intermission. With 10:19 remaining, Robert Lewis threw down a dunk to get the Lions within 61-53 but they never got closer.

It was the second-ever meeting between the two. Minnesota beat the Lions 72-56 on Dec. 14, 2022. The Golden Gophers now have a 12-0 record against the Southwestern Athletic Conference.