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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Vincent Grier scored a career-high 25 points on Wednesday as Minnesota defeated UNC Greensboro 94-59.
The Gophers (8-3) won their sixth straight game with deadly outside shooting and an effective transition game that fed off a season-high 26 turnovers by the Spartans.
Grier hit 9-of-13 shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and thrilled the crowd with two thunderous dunks in the first half as Minnesota pulled out to a 20-4 lead.
Freshman Rico Tucker scored 15 points for Minnesota, while Dan Coleman added 12 as the Gophers blistered the nets at a 59 percent clip from the floor _ including 68 percent in the first half. Six players hit 3-pointers as the Gophers made 11-of-18 shots from behind the arc.
Ronnie Burrell led UNC Greensboro with 19 points, while Ricky Hickman scored 15 and Kyle Hines added 10 for the Spartans, who shot just 42.6 percent from the field.
The Spartans fell behind 6-0 with turnovers on their first four possessions, quickly setting the tone for the evening.
Tucker, making just his second career start, scored the first six points for the Gophers on a pair of jumpers and a follow-up dunk. He added a 3-pointer and another dunk off a fast-break to end the half with 11 points.
