SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Blake Hoffarber scored 20 points, Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbakwe created havoc all over the court and Minnesota beat No. 8 North Carolina 72-67 on Friday night in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament.

The Golden Gophers (3-0) mobbed each other in front of the bench and danced around in a circle to celebrate the win — and their trip to Sunday’s final against West Virginia.

Beating a top-10 team in the Tar Heels (2-1) and a 2010 Final Four team in the Mountaineers would put the Gophers in a strong position to enter The Associated Press Top 25 and stamp themselves as a serious contender in the Big 10.