Gophers men's basketball cruises to exhibition win over Hamline

Brennan Rigsby scored a team-high 16 points in the victory.

Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson reacts to a play against Minnesota during the first half of Second Round of Big Ten tournament at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. on Thursday, March 14, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The regular season is right around the corner for the Gophers men's basketball team.

Minnesota closed its exhibition schedule with a 79-57 victory over Hamline Tuesday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Fourteen players saw action on the court, and now all focus turns toward the nonconference schedule. The Gophers begin their season Wednesday, Nov. 6, when they host Oral Roberts at The Barn.

On Tuesday, Brennan Rigsby scored a team-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including 4 of 8 from 3. Dawson Garcia had 11 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes, and Mike Mitchell Jr., Trey Edmonds and Parker Fox each had nine points.

The Gophers were in control early, outscoring Hamline 42-25 in the first half.

The Gophers shot 51% from the field and 41% from 3-point range.

Bradley Cimperman led Hamline with a game-high 17 points.

Now the journey begins for the Gophers with their first two games of the season next week. After Oral Roberts on Nov. 6, they'll host Omaha on Saturday, Nov. 9 at The Barn.