MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Marcus Carr had 19 points and Minnesota tied the second-best 3-point mark in school history with 14 made 3s in an 82-57 win against Central Michigan on Thursday night.

Payton Willis scored 18 points and Gabe Kalscheur added 15 for the Gophers (2-3), which were 14 of 30 from beyond the arc, the third game this season with double-digit made 3s. Kalscheur was 5 of 11 from 3-point territory, while Willis was 4 of 6.

Daniel Oturu added nine points, 12 rebounds and three blocks for Minnesota.

Kevin McKay led Central Michigan (4-1) with 16 points and eight rebounds. Dallas Morgan added 10 points for the Chippewas, who shot a season-low 33.3 percent (22 of 66).

The increased emphasis on the 3 comes with Carr and Willis in their first season with Minnesota after transferring, respectively, from Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt. The Gophers were among the nation’s least-productive teams from 3 last season and had just four games with double-digit made 3s.

The last time Minnesota had as many as 14 made 3s in a game was in 2002. The school record is 16, set against Michigan State in 2001.

Central Michigan went without a field goal in the final 2:35 of the first half as the Gophers built a 19-point advantage at halftime. Minnesota led by as many as 29 in the second half.

Big picture

Central Michigan: The first big test led to the first time struggling offensively for the Chippewas. Central Michigan entered the game second in the country in points per game (108.8) and scoring margin (plus-40). The Chippewas will see better defenses down the road and will need to shoot better.

Minnesota: With the 3s falling, the Gophers can be dangerous when considering Oturu’s ability inside. Returning home should help the feeling too, after three road losses to Power 5 teams. Minnesota can get comfortable and gain some confidence with a five-game homestand that started Thursday. More winnable games appear on the horizon before the homestand concludes against Clemson as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Up next

Minnesota’s season-long homestand continues Sunday evening against North Dakota, the first meeting between the two schools since Dec. 8, 2014.