Sean Sutherlin scored 19 points to help Minnesota earn a 78-49 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday in Minneapolis.
Sutherlin came off the bench and went 7 of 7 from the field to go along with seven rebounds.
E.J. Stephens scored 14 points, Jamison Battle had 13 points and Luke Loewe added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists for Minnesota (4-0).
Jalon Pipkins had 19 points and six rebounds, while Jarred Godfrey added 12 points and six boards in defeat for Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1).
Minnesota shot 49.1 percent from the field (28 of 57), went 14 of 18 from the free-throw line and had 16 assists for the game.
The Mastodons outrebounded Minnesota 39-36 but shot just 32.8 percent from the field (20 of 61), shot only eight free throws and committed 20 turnovers.
Leading 31-28 in the first minute of the second half, Minnesota went on an 11-0 run to take a 14-point lead with 16:42 remaining in the game.
A few minutes later, Minnesota used a 9-2 run to grab a 53-34 lead with 10:51 left.
The gap only grew larger from there, as Minnesota went on an 8-0 run to go ahead 71-42 with 3:46 remaining after a Sutherlin layup.
Minnesota ended up leading as many as 30 points at 76-46 with 1:52 to go.
The Mastodons got off to a terrific start, opening the game on a 15-5 run in the first 7:47 with Pipkins scoring nine points.
After that, Minnesota took over.
The Golden Gophers went on a 10-0 run to tie the game with 9:11 remaining in the first half on a Sutherlin jumper.
After Purdue Fort Wayne took a 22-17 lead, Minnesota responded with a 9-0 run to grab a 26-22 lead after a Sutherlin three-point play with 6:12 left in the first half.
Minnesota eventually took a 31-26 lead into halftime.
–Field Level Media
