Minnesota remained perfect with a pretty much perfect game plan for facing North Carolina. The Golden Gophers slowed the eighth-ranked Tar Heels with their zone defense and got 20 points from Blake Hoffarber in a 72-67 victory in a semifinal matchup at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Friday.

Minnesota (4-0) will face West Virginia in the final after the Mountaineers outlasted Vanderbilt, 74-71, earlier Friday.

The Golden Gophers led 27-24 at the half and were able to hold the Tar Heels off down the stretch. Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III both scored 12 points for Minnesota, which could have won even more comfortably if not for a 19-of-35 performance from the free throw line.

North Carolina (2-1) just never got anything going against Minnesota’s 2-3 zone. The Tar Heels got 16 points from center Tyler Zeller and 11 from Reggie Bullock but shot just 35 percent (24-of-68) from the field and made only 4-of-19 three-pointers.

No North Carolina player was more uncomfortable against the zone than freshman Harrison Barnes who followed up a performance that showed why he was voted a preseason All-American with one that reminded everyone that he is just a freshman. Barnes made all four 3-point attempts and scored all of his 19 points in the first half of Thursday’s 107-63 win over Hofstra but struggled mightily Friday. He was 0-of-15 from the field, missed all four of his three-point attempts and finished with six points.