Minneapolis, MN -- (Sports Network) - Al Nolen tallied a career-high 17 points and the Minnesota Golden Gophers coasted past the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears, 76-51, in the first stage of the NABC Classic at Williams Arena.

Nolen also grabbed six boards and dished out six assists for the Gophers (1-0). Lawrence Westbrook chipped in with 13 points and Blake Hoffarber ripped down 12 caroms in the triumph.

Craig Heiman led the charge for the Golden Bears (0-1) with a game-high 26 points on the strength of 6-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc.

The Gophers forced 10 turnovers and held CSP to a dismal 28.6 percent shooting effort from the floor, as they took a 39-25 lead into the locker room.

Minnesota used tough defense and a 10-of-16 performance at the foul line in the second half to walk away with the 25-point victory.

The Gophers were simply dominant on the boards, holding a 56-33 advantage over the Golden Bears.