Julian Welch had a team-high 15 points to lead Minnesota to a 76-56 blowout victory over visiting Central Michigan on Tuesday at Williams Arena.

Welch, who tallied 11 points in a victory over St. Peter’s last time out, has scored in double digits in eight consecutive games for the Gophers (11-1), who won their fifth straight since losing to Dayton on Nov. 17.

Minnesota had 10 first-half turnovers but shot 52 percent from the field en route to a 34-23 halftime lead. Austin Hollins and Joe Coleman added 12 points each for the Gophers, who held an opponent to under 60 points for the ninth time.

Central Michigan (4-5), which lost its third consecutive game, continued its offensive struggles. The Chippewas entered ranked 290th in the nation in field-goal percentage and finished just 35 percent from the floor, including 28 percent in the first half.

Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan’s leading scorer, finished with a game-high 19 points. Freshman Austin McBroom added 16 on 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range for the Chippewas, who fell to 0-3 all-time against the Gophers.