Freshman guard Amir Coffey scored a career-high 30 points as Minnesota overcame a cold start and held off St. John's 92-86 Friday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

Coffey had 17 of his points in the first half as the Gophers (4-0) overcome an early 13-point deficit to lead by 10 at the half and by 16 at 57-41 less than seven minutes into the second period.

But St. John's freshman guard Marcus Lovett rallied the Red Storm (2-1) to within 64-61 before the Gophers regained control. Lovett scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half. His classmate and backcourt cohort, guard Shamorie Ponds, had 23 points.

Sophomore guard Dupree McBrayer had 18 for Minnesota.

The game was the finale of the third annual Gavitt Tipoff Games, a series matching up Big East and Big Ten teams named in honor of the late Dave Gavitt, the former Providence College coach and founder of the Big East Conference.

Minnesota's win gave the leagues four victories apiece in the eight-game series.

After getting off to a cold start (3-of-16 from the field) and falling behind 22-9, the Gophers turned the game around completely over the final 11-1/2 minutes, going 12-of-24 to go to the locker room up 41-31.

The visiting Red Storm opened the game 9-of-15 from the floor but then made only three of their last 23 shots in the half.

Minnesota junior center Reggie Lynch matched his career high in blocked shots with seven in the first half on his way to nine for the game.