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Minnesota Beats WVU For Puerto Rico Tip-Off Championship

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Minnesota is taking the Puerto Rico championship trophy back home after beating West Virginia 74-70, Sunday night in the final of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament.

Blake Hoffarber hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points for the Golden Gophers (5-0), who capped their four-day run in Puerto Rico with an early season title they hope catapults them to bigger celebrations.

There were nine lead changes and the score was tied 10 times in the title game. Hoffarber hit the decisive shot on a baseline 3-pointer with 1:31 to go that gave the Gophers  a 73-70 lead.

The Mountaineers had one more shot with 24.3 seconds left after the Gophers tossed up a wild shot as the shot-clock expired. However, they missed two shots. The Gophers hit one free-throw to secure the win and held the Mountaineers without a field goal for the final three minutes.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said after the game, "We didn't make any shots, it wasn't like we didn't have shots. Our execution wasn't right. The right guys, at least I think the right guys, shot the ball."

They did it all in front of a surprisingly packed and loud crowd at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The single-day crowd of 11,575 was easily a one-day record for the four-year old tournament.

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