Rickert gets the message

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota coach Dan Monson wanted to send a message to his players. So he benched Rick Rickert.

"If we can't hold our best player accountable, it's hard to hold everyone else," Monson said.

Coming off the bench for the first time in his career, Rickert scored 15 points while Moe Hargrow and Kevin Burleson led the Golden Gophers with 17 apiece in Minnesota's 85-80 win over Oral Roberts on Wednesday.

Besides Rickert, Monson also pulled center Jerry Holman from his starting spot.

"He said my all-around performance wasn't as good as he wanted it to be," said Rickert, a sophomore. "Jerry and I both, he said we weren't playing up to our potential."

Hargrow, who's mainly played small forward, started his second straight game in Ben Johnson's spot in the backcourt. And Michael Bauer, who started at forward in Minnesota's last game, was limited with an illness.

So Monson drew puzzled looks as Stan Gaines, Jeff Hagen and Steve Esselink were announced as the frontcourt starters.

"We were surprised, to say the least," Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton said. "For Rickert and Holman not to start, I don't know the reason. They have lost a couple of games (to Oregon and Texas Tech). Maybe it was to get their attention."

Monson, who said Rickert and Holman practiced well this week, insisted the move wasn't meant as punishment.

"It was something to try," he said. "It was not to pick on Rick or Jerry Holman or Ben Johnson, it was to try and help them learn and grow to more complete players."

Monson informed his team of the shakeup during Tuesday's practice.

"I was pretty upset," Rickert said. "But it's just something I have to let go."

ORAL ROBERTS (8-4)

Moore 1-4 2-2 4, Borges 5-14 1-2 12, Tiggs 4-13 6-10 17, Atkinson 4-8 1-2 13, Spencer-Gardner 1-11 5-6 8, Tragardh 2-5 4-4 8, Bluitt 1-3 3-4 5, Charles 3-5 3-3 11, Gastel 1-5 0-0 2, Ogunoye 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-68 25-33 80.

MINNESOTA (7-3)

Gaines 1-4 0-0 2, Esselink 3-8 0-0 7, Hagen 2-7 3-4 7, Hargrow 3-9 11-16 17, Burleson 4-5 5-8 17, Rickert 4-13 7-11 15, Robinson 2-2 0-0 5, Johnson 2-4 3-4 7, Lawson 0-0 0-0 0, Holman 3-5 2-2 8, Bauer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 31-45 85.

Halftime--Minnesota 35, Oral Roberts 33. 3-Point Goals--Oral Roberts 11-32 (Borges 1-3, Tiggs 3-9, Atkinson 4-8, Spencer-Gardner 1-7, Tragardh 0-1, Bluitt 0-1, Charles 2-3), Minnesota 6-18 (Gaines 0-1, Esselink 1-4, Hargrow 0-4, Burleson 4-4, Rickert 0-2, Robinson 1-1, Johnson 0-2). Fouled out--Oral Roberts Moore, Borges, Tiggs, Spencer-Gardner. Minnesota none. Rebounds--Oral Roberts 43 (Tiggs 15), Minnesota 51 (Hargrow 10). Assists--Oral Roberts 13 (Spencer-Gardner 3), Minnesota 14 (Burleson 3, Hagen 3). Total fouls--Oral Roberts 33, Minnesota 25. Technical Fouls--Minnesota bench. A--12,101.