Mike Mitchell Jr. shoots Gophers past Morgan State to close nonconference play

Mitchell finished with 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting in a convincing Minnesota victory.

Minnesota guard Mike Mitchell Jr. (2) works around Morgan State forward Will Thomas during the first half at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Dec. 29, 2024. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Mike Mitchell Jr. shot lights out on his way to a team-high 22 points and the Gophers men's basketball team closed its nonconference slate strong, beating Morgan State 90-68 Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

Mitchell shot 8 for 10 from the field and 6 for 8 from 3-point range to lead a Gophers offense that shot 52% from the field and 45% from 3-point range. Dawson Garcia knocked down four shots from long range on a day Minnesota (8-5) drilled 13 overall from 3. Garcia finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Mitchell also contributed five rebounds and an assist.

Parker Fox added 11 points and Frank Mitchell scored 10 points off the bench for the Gophers.

An encouraging sign for the Gophers on Sunday was that they got off to a strong start. While they've often been slow-starters, that wasn't the case Sunday as they outscored Morgan State (6-10) 55-37 in the first half. Mitchell Jr. scored all 22 of his points in the opening 20 minutes, and he didn't miss a single shot from the field until after the halftime break.

Minnesota shot 59% from the field in the first half.

Mitchell Jr. cooled in the second half, and the Gophers slowed down a bit with the 18-point advantage entering the new half. Kameron Hobbs continued to make an impact in the second half, scoring 11 of his game-high 25 points after the break. Hobbs also added six rebounds and four assists. Will Thomas scored 13 for the Bears. Rob Lawson added 11.

Daniel Akitoby had a double-double for the Bears with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

While the Gophers cooled slightly after the half, they still won the latter 20 minutes by a four-point margin. Morgan State shot 40% from the field and 36% from 3 for the game. Minnesota's bench outscored Morgan State's 31-4, and despite finishing even on the glass (35-35) and being outrebounded on the offensive glass (12-9), the Gophers put up 13 second-chance points to Morgan State's four. Minnesota also had more assists (20-17) and fewer turnovers (6-5) than the Bears.

The Gophers led by as many as 27 points during the second half.

The victory Sunday officially concludes Minnesota's nonconference schedule, and the full-time Big Ten slate is now on the horizon. The Gophers begin that grueling journey Thursday when they host No. 21 Purdue for a 7 p.m. tipoff.