Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Gophers scored a season-high 55 first-half points and held off the No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes in the second half for a 92-87 victory Sunday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
Gophers senior forward Jordan Murphy and junior guard Amir Coffey each scored 23 points to hand Iowa (16-5, 5-5 Big Ten) its second loss in four days. Iowa lost to No. 6 Michigan State on Thursday.
Minnesota rebounded from a 59-57 loss to No. 5 Michigan last Tuesday. The win pushed the Gophers (15-5, 5-4 Big Ten) past the Hawkeyes for sixth place in the Big Ten standings.
Gophers freshman guard Gabe Kalscheur scored 19 points, the most he's had in a conference game.
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"He's, mentally, very unique," Gophers head coach Richard Pitino told reporters after the game. "He's mature, locked in, same routine every day. He's got all those intangibles you look for. ... There's nobody that works harder, or more serious, than Gabe."
Forward Eric Curry had eight points, three assists and two rebounds, and guard Dupree McBrayer added six points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Iowa sophomore forward Luka Garza matched his career high with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Junior guard Isaiah Moss contributed 23 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Hawkeyes junior forward Tyler Cook had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Nicholas Baer tallied nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
Minnesota's 92 points in regulation were its highest score in a Big Ten contest since a 95-89 victory over the Hawkeyes on Feb. 25, 2014.
The Gophers host Illinois (6-14, 2-7 Big Ten) on Wednesday, while Iowa returns home to play Michigan (19-1, 8-1 Big Ten) on Friday.
