Gophers Fall To St. Johns 70-61

NEW YORK (AP) - Nate Mason scored 15 points off the bench for Minnesota, but the Gophers fell to St. John's 70-61 in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals.

Minnesota took a 40-31 lead into halftime, but struggled to score in the second period, posting 21 second half points.

D'Angelo Harrison converted a key four-point play with 2:23 left to give St. John's a 65-59 lead. He saved a loose ball before diving out of bounds, then drifted to the right corner and was fouled on a 3-pointer.

Rysheed Jordan added 18 points and eight rebounds for St. John's (4-0).

The Gophers shot 23-63 from the field, and 9-16 from the foul line.

Minnesota held Rutgers to shooting just 38% from the field, and only 15% from behind the arc.

Mason had 13 points and three steals in the opening 20 minutes.

The Gophers will face Georgia on Friday at 3:30.  The Bulldogs lost to Gonzaga 88-76.

Courtesy: gophersports.com