The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota's practice habits carried over into its season opener Sunday. And that's not necessarily a compliment.

Rick Rickert scored 26 points and Maurice Hargrow added a career-high 21 as the 24th-ranked Golden Gophers built a big first-half lead and held on for an 87-81 victory over North Carolina-Asheville (0-2).

Gophers coach Dan Monson and his players admitted they start strong in practices and finish poorly. And that's what happened Sunday.

Minnesota led by 23 in the first half, only to be outscored by the Bulldogs 54-37 in the second half.

"Honestly, it felt like we lost," Rickert said. "Our intensity has to pick up and carry through the whole game."

Rickert, last season's Big Ten freshman of the year, went 5-for-6 from 3-point range and also played strong perimeter defense to help the Gophers improve to 4-0 in season openers under Monson.

Andre Smith's 27 points led UNC-Asheville (0-2), which also played well against Michigan State on Friday before losing 66-52.

NORTH CAROLINA-ASHEVILLE (0-2)-McCullough 5-8 1-2 13, Barber 4-8 0-0 9, McGonagil 3-7 3-6 9, Smith 7-15 10-11 27, Kragel 2-8 0-0 6, Collington 1-2 0-0 2, Mohn 3-8 2-2 8, Holmes 1-3 0-0 2, Carter 0-1 0-1 0, Bivins 2-3 1-2 5, Creasman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-63 17-24 81.

MINNESOTA (1-0)-Rickert 8-15 5-11 26, Bauer 5-8 7-10 20, Holman 1-2 3-4 5, Burleson 1-4 0-0 2, Johnson 2-8 0-0 4, Robinson 0-0 0-1 0, Hargrow 6-10 8-14 21, Gaines 3-7 0-0 6, Esselink 1-2 0-0 3, Hagen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 23-40 87.

Halftime-Minnesota 50, N.C.-Ashville 27.

No. 8 Florida 88, Coastal Carolina 45

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Freshman Anthony Roberson scored 26 points and classmate Matt Walsh scored 19 as the Gators (3-0) clubbed the Chanticleers (1-1).

Walsh has 65 points in Florida's first three games, all easy victories, and Roberson has 59.

Torrey Butler scored 17 points for Coastal Carolina, a member of the Big South Conference. The Chanticleers are named after a rooster in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales."

COASTAL CAROLINA (1-1)-Pagel 1-3 0-0 2, Robinson 1-4 0-0 2, Raducanu 1-2 0-0 2, Al.Green 1-4 0-0 2, Butler 7-14 3-5 17, An.Green 1-2 1-4 3, Paelay 0-1 1-2 1, Stevens 0-0 0-0 0, Coggins 3-9 1-2 9, Horne 0-0 0-0 0, Susnjara 1-4 0-0 2, Darden 2-8 0-1 5. Totals 18-51 6-14 45.

FLORIDA (3-0)-Bonner 1-4 2-2 4, Walsh 7-10 2-2 19, Lee 5-8 6-8 16, Roberson 7-14 9-10 26, Hamilton 0-0 2-4 2, Boggan 4-6 0-2 8, Haimovitch 0-1 0-0 0, Moss 2-5 5-8 9, Capko 0-1 1-2 1, Al-Kaleem 1-5 0-2 3. Totals 27-54 27-40 88.

Halftime-Florida 50, Coastal Carolina 17.

No. 10 Oregon 97, Grambling State 52

EUGENE, Ore. - James Davis scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers as the Ducks opened their season with a rout in the John Thompson Foundation Challenge.

Luke Ridnour added 21 points and nine assists for Oregon, which will face Cal State Northridge in tonight's title game.

The Tigers (0-2) were led by William McDonald with 17 points and nine rebounds, but were hurt by 23 percent shooting and 25 turnovers.

GRAMBLING ST (0-2)-Haynes 4-14 0-0 8, Lewis 0-2 4-4 4, McDonald 8-21 1-3 17, Rush 5-15 2-3 15, Ellis 0-4 0-0 0, Mason 0-0 0-0 0, Whiteside 1-2 0-0 2, Mathis 0-0 0-0 0, Stevens 0-0 0-0 0, McKenzie 0-7 0-0 0, Taylor 2-12 2-2 6. Totals 20-77 9-12 52.

OREGON (1-0)-Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Jackson 6-13 0-0 14, Helquist 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 7-13 0-0 21, Ridnour 8-16 3-4 21, Short 2-5 0-2 4, Crosswhite 5-8 1-1 11, Lincoln 2-4 1-2 6, York 0-1 0-0 0, Joseph 3-7 2-5 8, Anderson 3-5 0-2 6. Totals 39-78 7-16 97.

Halftime-Oregon 42, Grambling St. 22.

No. 25 Tulsa 80, Texas-Pan American 50

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - Senior forward Kevin Johnson scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Golden Hurricane (2-0) cruised at the South Padre Island Roundball Invitational Tournament.

Jason Parker scored 14 points, while Dante Swanson and Antonio Reed added 12 each for Tulsa, which led only 33-30 at halftime before taking control in the second half.

Allen Holcomb topped the Broncs (0-2) with 18 points.

TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN (0-2)-Montalvo 4-10 4-6 14, Holcomb 8-13 2-5 18, Diaz 1-8 0-0 2, Mitchell 2-9 0-0 5, Davis 2-4 0-0 4, East 0-4 0-0 0, Hall 0-1 0-0 0, Thompson 2-6 1-1 5, Sitnikovas 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 20-56 7-13 50.

TULSA (2-0)-Parker 5-10 4-4 14, Davis 1-2 3-4 5, Johnson 10-14 0-1 21, Swanson 3-9 3-4 12, Reed 6-10 0-0 12, Wallace 1-1 0-0 2, Meier 0-0 0-0 0, Glenn 3-3 0-2 6, Blankenship 0-0 0-0 0, Collins 0-1 0-0 0, Ledoux 2-5 0-0 4, Keita 0-0 0-0 0, Price 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 33-59 10-15 80.

Halftime-Tulsa 33-30.