Golden Gophers: Unleashing Excellence in Minnesota Athletics

Dawson Garcia tallied 21 points, while Isaac Asuma and Lu’Cye Patterson both contributed 15 points each. However, Maryland (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) overcame a three-point deficit at halftime to secure a 77-71 victory against Minnesota (8-9, 0-6 B1G) at XFINITY Center.

 

Garcia succeeded in 6-of-13 field goals, which included 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and he was 7-of-9 at the charity stripe. This marked the 10th occasion this season that he scored 20 or more points, and the fourth time within Big Ten competition. He recorded seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot in 33 minutes on the court. Patterson went 9-of-10 at the free throw line and grabbed five rebounds alongside three assists. Asuma hit double digits for the fourth time this season and the second time over the past three games. Femi Odukale added six points and topped the team with eight rebounds, as the Gophers concluded the game with a 35-30 advantage on the boards. Parker Fox provided six points, four rebounds, a team-high four assists, and two blocks, while Mike Mitchell Jr. recorded six points and three rebounds.

 

Maryland was spearheaded by Derik Queen, who scored 27 points and secured seven rebounds. Rodney Rice contributed 21 points, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 15 points along with seven assists. Julian Reese, though limited to four points, led the Terps with a game-high eight rebounds.

 

Garcia initiated scoring for the Gophers with a three-pointer, and an Asuma layup along with a three from Mitchell Jr. put Minnesota ahead at 8-7. The Terps responded with a 7-0 run to establish a six-point lead, but a second three from Garcia, a putback by Odukale, and a trey from Asuma pushed the Gophers back into the lead at 16-14. Minnesota started strong, shooting 6-of-9 from the field, including its first four attempts from beyond the arc. Asuma’s second three-pointer completed an 11-0 run, resulting in a 19-14 lead, as the Gophers managed to keep Maryland scoreless for four minutes and 11 seconds before Reese finally scored. Odukale drilled a jumper in the lane, and Patterson netted two free throws, extending the lead to 23-16, but the Terps countered with a 7-2 run to narrow the gap to 25-23, prompting Ben Johnson to call a timeout with 7:26 remaining in the half. Garcia scored on a floater and added a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 29-23. Odukale then finished a layup following a wonderful pass from Fox, and Patterson hit two free throws, resulting in an 8-2 run and a 33-25 advantage. Maryland retaliated with their own 7-0 run, pulling the lead to just 33-32 as the Gophers went scoreless for 3:24 until Garcia netted a basket with 10 seconds remaining, granting Minnesota a 35-32 lead at halftime.

 

Garcia led the Gophers at halftime with 12 points; Asuma followed with 10, while Odukale contributed six. Both Garcia and Odukale collected four rebounds each, aiding Minnesota to a 17-14 rebounding advantage. Overall, the Gophers made 12-of-24 field goals, hitting 5-of-9 (.556) from beyond the arc, and converting all 6-of-6 free throws. Queen was the top scorer for the Terps with nine points, with Rice and Gillespie both adding seven.

 

The Gophers commenced the second half with a three-pointer from Mitchell Jr., who had only played seven minutes in the first half due to foul troubles, followed by Patterson also connecting from deep for a 41-35 edge. After a Patterson free throw upped the Gophers’ lead to seven, the Terps fought back with a 6-0 run, narrowing the score to 42-41 with 15:34 left. Garcia maintained Minnesota’s lead with a layup, but Rice sank a three-pointer to tie the game. Asuma then made a jumper to bring the score to 46-44, but Maryland responded with seven consecutive points, claiming its first lead since 14-13. Asuma responded with a driving layup to trim it to 51-48, but Gillespie’s three-point play with 11:11 left put Maryland ahead by six at 54-48. Garcia brought Minnesota back to within two points with a flawless performance at the free-throw line, going 4-of-4. He then made another free throw to narrow the gap to 56-53, however, the Terps expanded their advantage to 60-53 with 8:57 remaining. Fox converted a pair of free throws to bring the deficit down to 60-55, and Frank Mitchell’s putback dunk with 6:09 left kept Minnesota trailing by just five at 62-57. Yet, Maryland executed a 6-0 run to achieve their first double-digit lead at 68-57. A layup by Fox and two free throws from Patterson allowed Minnesota to inch closer at 68-61, and a Fox dunk made the score 70-63 with 1:47 remaining. Three consecutive free throws reduced the gap to 72-66, Patterson hit a three-pointer bringing it down to 74-69 with 12 seconds remaining, and Garcia scored on a layup just 5 seconds before the end, but the Terps secured their win with critical free throws.

 

The Gophers will return to Williams Arena to host Michigan on Thursday, January 16, at 6:00 p.m. on FS1.