SEATTLE (Interstat) — The Washington Huskies built a substantial first-half lead and held off the Minnesota Golden Gophers for a 69-57 men’s basketball victory Saturday at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Washington led 39-26 at halftime before a crowd of 6,651. Minnesota outscored the Huskies 31-30 after the break but could not overcome the early deficit. The result moved Washington to 13-13 overall, while Minnesota fell to 11-14. Both teams compete in the Big Ten Conference.

Key performances for Washington included Hannes Steinbach and Zoom Diallo. Cade Tyson and Bobby Durkin led the effort for Minnesota. The Huskies were projected favorites to win by national statistical models entering the contest.