University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, March 19
Indianapolis, IN
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
73
at
72
Butler
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Gophers Win 73-72 Thriller Over Butler in NIT
3/19/2024 10:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Dawson Garcia led five players in double-figures with a game-high 25 points, and Elijah Hawkins finished with 11 points and a game-high 15 assists, as Minnesota (19-14) rallied late to record a 73-72 win over Butler (18-15) at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the First Round of the NIT.
Garcia made 11-of-19 field goals for his 13th game with 20-plus points this season and added four rebounds. Hawkins shattered Minnesota's single-game NIT record for assists, which had been eight (twice), most recently by Austin Hollins versus High Point in 2014. In fact, it marked the most assists by a Gopher in postseason play as Melvin Newbern had nine assists in 1990 against Northern Iowa. The point-assist double-double was the sixth this season for Hawkins, who led the nation in assists per game. Hawkins also led the Gophers with six rebounds tonight.
Pharrel Payne finished with 11 points and five rebounds, Cam Christie had 10 points, six assists, and five boards, and Parker Fox had 10 points, two rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Mike Mitchell Jr. added six points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Minnesota used an early 11-0 run to turn an 11-8 deficit into a 19-11 lead. Garcia scored five points during that stretch for the Gophers, who opened the game 8-of-16 from the floor, but the Bulldogs countered with a 12-4 run to tie the game 23-23 with 5:51 remaining in the half. The Gophers led 30-27 following a three-pointer by Mitchell Jr. and floaters in the paint by Christie and Hawkins, but Butler went on a late 9-4 run to help grab a 38-36 halftime lead. Payne led the Gophers with 10 first-half points, while Garcia had eight, and Christie added seven. Minnesota made 15-of-28 (.536) field goals.
Hawkins and Garcia scored to give the Gophers a 40-38 lead early in the second half, but once again Butler responded with a run, this time 13-4 to build its biggest lead at 51-44. Minnesota countered with back-to-back three-pointers from Mitchell Jr. and Christie to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 51-50 with 13:18 left, and Fox and Garcia added layups to put the Gophers back in the lead, 54-53. The Bulldogs hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions as part of a 7-0 run, putting them back in front 60-54, but Garcia's three-point play and a three from Hawkins tied the score with 7:33 left. A 7-2 Bulldogs run put the home team up by five, but Hawkins found Fox for an alley-oop dunk on a second-chance possession to cut it to 67-64 with 4:02 remaining. A Payne free throw and a layup by Garcia tied the score at 67-67 with 2:07 left, but the Bulldogs added a three-pointer and a jumper in the lane around a Fox layup for a 72-69 with 0:39 on the clock, and Minnesota called a timeout. Garcia scored on a layup with 0:22 left, and then the Gophers forced a turnover, with Hawkins drawing a foul with 5.3 seconds left. Hawkins went to the line and knocked down both free throws to give Minnesota a 73-72 lead. Butler inbounded the ball and dribbled it into the front court, where it called a timeout with 1.8 seconds left, but a last-second three-pointer from the corner was off the mark and the Gophers advanced to the second round.
Minnesota advances to face the winner of Wednesday night's first-round match-up between SMU and Indiana State. Game time and location is to be determined.
Garcia made 11-of-19 field goals for his 13th game with 20-plus points this season and added four rebounds. Hawkins shattered Minnesota's single-game NIT record for assists, which had been eight (twice), most recently by Austin Hollins versus High Point in 2014. In fact, it marked the most assists by a Gopher in postseason play as Melvin Newbern had nine assists in 1990 against Northern Iowa. The point-assist double-double was the sixth this season for Hawkins, who led the nation in assists per game. Hawkins also led the Gophers with six rebounds tonight.
Pharrel Payne finished with 11 points and five rebounds, Cam Christie had 10 points, six assists, and five boards, and Parker Fox had 10 points, two rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Mike Mitchell Jr. added six points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Minnesota used an early 11-0 run to turn an 11-8 deficit into a 19-11 lead. Garcia scored five points during that stretch for the Gophers, who opened the game 8-of-16 from the floor, but the Bulldogs countered with a 12-4 run to tie the game 23-23 with 5:51 remaining in the half. The Gophers led 30-27 following a three-pointer by Mitchell Jr. and floaters in the paint by Christie and Hawkins, but Butler went on a late 9-4 run to help grab a 38-36 halftime lead. Payne led the Gophers with 10 first-half points, while Garcia had eight, and Christie added seven. Minnesota made 15-of-28 (.536) field goals.
Hawkins and Garcia scored to give the Gophers a 40-38 lead early in the second half, but once again Butler responded with a run, this time 13-4 to build its biggest lead at 51-44. Minnesota countered with back-to-back three-pointers from Mitchell Jr. and Christie to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 51-50 with 13:18 left, and Fox and Garcia added layups to put the Gophers back in the lead, 54-53. The Bulldogs hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions as part of a 7-0 run, putting them back in front 60-54, but Garcia's three-point play and a three from Hawkins tied the score with 7:33 left. A 7-2 Bulldogs run put the home team up by five, but Hawkins found Fox for an alley-oop dunk on a second-chance possession to cut it to 67-64 with 4:02 remaining. A Payne free throw and a layup by Garcia tied the score at 67-67 with 2:07 left, but the Bulldogs added a three-pointer and a jumper in the lane around a Fox layup for a 72-69 with 0:39 on the clock, and Minnesota called a timeout. Garcia scored on a layup with 0:22 left, and then the Gophers forced a turnover, with Hawkins drawing a foul with 5.3 seconds left. Hawkins went to the line and knocked down both free throws to give Minnesota a 73-72 lead. Butler inbounded the ball and dribbled it into the front court, where it called a timeout with 1.8 seconds left, but a last-second three-pointer from the corner was off the mark and the Gophers advanced to the second round.
Minnesota advances to face the winner of Wednesday night's first-round match-up between SMU and Indiana State. Game time and location is to be determined.
Highlights: Gophers 80, NDSU 54
Thursday, October 16
Behind the Scenes: B1G Media Day
Monday, October 13
2025 Super Block Party
Monday, October 13
Asuma & Crocker-Johnson at B1G Media Day
Thursday, October 09