Minnesota found its elusive 3-point stroke just in time to give coach Richard Pitino the NCAA Tournament win he’d been seeking for years.
The 10th-seeded Gophers won their first NCAA Tournament game in six seasons behind 24 points from freshman Gabe Kalscheur, who helped Minnesota roll past Louisville 86-76 in the opening round of the East Region on Thursday.
The win for Pitino came against school that fired his father. Rick Pitino coached the Cardinals for 16 seasons before his 2017 dismissal.
Amir Coffey also had 18 points for Minnesota (22-13), which knocked down 11 3s despite entering play ranked 344th nationally in made 3s per game.
Minnesota plays Michigan State on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
