MINNEAPOLIS — Marcus Carr matched a career high with 35 points and Minnesota cruised to a 99-69 victory over Green Bay in a basketball season opener.
Both Gach, who played high school basketball about 100 miles south of Minnesota’s campus, added 14 points in his debut for his home-state team after transferring from Utah.
Fifth-year senior Eric Curry started at forward for the Gophers, his first action in 21 months after missing last season with the second major knee injury of his career. Curry totaled 15 minutes and four points.
The 6-foot-2 Carr shot 12-for-22 overall, 4-for-10 from 3-point range and 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
“He’s a heck of a player,” UW-Green Bay coach Will Ryan told the Press Gazette. “I had no idea he had 35 points. I assumed it was 20 to 25. … He just kind of put the team on his shoulders. He made a statement. (UWGB senior guard) PJ Pipes guarded him for the most part, and we kept telling him 'you have to push out a little bit further. You have an NBA arc, got to push out.'"
“But he’s so good off the bounce and he’s got an extremely good freeze dribble where he comes off the ball screen, freezes you for a second and then he can go real quick," Ryan added. "He’s not a blur, but he’s just very patient and poised. That’s how he was able to get at the rim as well.”
Minnesota scored 21 of the first 23 points and continued to pile on during the opening 20 minutes, taking a comfortable 53-22 advantage into halftime.
Amari Davis scored 17 points to lead Green Bay.
