(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Postgame: Sampson is back, but Williams is still the star
Ralph Sampson III had a strong outing in his first game back after missing two with ankle soreness, but Rodney Williams remains the team's leader.
By ajrayno
December 7, 2011 at 12:58PM
In Ralph Sampson III's first game back after missing two with a tweaked left ankle, Rodney Williams was once again the star, finishing with his best, most complete game yet this season and leading the team down the stretch. Some notes from the 70-56 win over Appalachian State:
- Sampson came off the bench Tuesday and played 19 minutes overall. He finished with 10 points – four of which came in the final two minutes – and five rebounds, remarkably his best game since the second of the season.
- Williams finished with 18 points, six rebounds, five blocks, a steal and an assist. With the game tied at 52 with five minutes left, he keyed a 15-4 run and turned the momentum.
- Julian Welch took over most of the point guard duties for Andre Hollins -- who was playing on a turned ankle – and finished with 15 points, but also had four turnovers.
- Joe Coleman had one of his best games of the year in a 10-point, two-assist performance.
- Chip Armelin and Maverick Ahanmisi stepped up down the stretch with solid spot performances off the bench.
- In the first half, the Gophers struggled against the three-pointer with Rodney Milum hitting four, but they held the Mountaineers to just 27.3 percent from the arc in the second.
- 22 of the Gophers 30 shots came in the paint.
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ajrayno
Minnesota protected its playoff position and moved closer to the third-place spot in the Central that Colorado swiped last week.
