University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 10
Madison, WI
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Wisconsin
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Fall to Badgers
1/10/2025 9:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Dawson Garcia led Minnesota (8-8, 0-5 Big Ten) with 22 points and 10 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season, but Wisconsin broke open a one-point halftime lead and recorded an 80-59 win over the Gophers before a crowd of 14,239 at the Kohl Center.
Garcia made 8-of-17 field goals, including 1-of-3 three-pointers, and was 5-of-8 at the free throw line. His double-double was the 15th of his career and his 11th at Minnesota. Femi Odukale added eight points, seven rebounds, and a team-high four assists, while Lu'Cye Patterson added six points, four boards, and three assists. Mike Mitchell Jr. finished with five points, while Brennan Rigsby added seven, Frank Mitchell had six points and three rebounds, and Caleb Williams had five.
The Gophers made 22-of-57 (.386) field goals, including 7-of-19 (.368) three-pointers, and were 8-of-13 (.615) at the charity stripe. Wisconsin (13-3, 3-2 B1G), which is receiving votes in both national polls, was 25-of-57 (.439) from the field, including 11-of-28 (.393) from long-range and was 19-of-24 (.792) at the line. The Badgers, who held a slim 37-36 rebounding edge, were led by Steven Crowl's 18 points, while John Tonje had 16, and Kamari McGee added 15.
Minnesota jumped out to a 10-2 start, with Mitchell Jr. hitting a baseline jumper, Patterson making a three from the top of the key, Garcia scoring on a layup, and Odukale adding a three-pointer. The Badgers cut the lead to 10-5, but Garcia connected from long-range and added a jumper in the lane to put the Gophers up, 15-5. Minnesota opened the game 6-of-10, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, while Wisconsin was 2-of-10 and 1-of-7 from distance. The Badgers went on a 10-0 run to tie the score with 9:46 left, before Mitchell's putback finally ended the Gophers' five-minute, 12-second scoring drought to make it 17-15. The Badgers used a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the night, but Garcia reached double-figures with a three-point play to tie the score at 20-20. Odukale went on a personal 5-0 spurt to help the Gophers reclaim a 25-22 edge, but Wisconsin answered with a 6-0 run. Garcia hit a turnaround bank shot to pull Minnesota within one at 28-27, and his spinning one-handed floater in the lane rolled in to end the first-half scoring with Minnesota trailing, 30-29.
Minnesota wound up making 12-of-33 (.364) first-half field goals, including 4-of-11 (.364) three-pointers, and the Gophers had a 24-19 rebounding advantage. Wisconsin was 10-of-31 (.323), including 3-of-13 (.231) from beyond the arc, but the Badgers were 7-of-7 at the line, while Minnesota was 1-of-2. Garcia led all scorers with 14 points at the break, while adding eight rebounds, while Crowl led the Badgers with nine points.
Garcia hit a pair of free throws to give Minnesota a 31-30 lead to start the second half, but UW answered with a 7-0 run before Mitchell's dunk made it 37-33. The Badgers added two three-pointers to stretch the lead to 10 points, 43-33, at the first media timeout. Mitchell made a jumper in the lane to cut the deficit to 43-35, and layups by Garcia and Patterson pulled Minnesota within 45-39, but the Badgers responded with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 14 points. Mitchell Jr. hit his lone three-pointer of the night to cut it to 53-42 with 10:48 remaining, but Wisconsin put together another 8-0 run to stretch its advantage to 61-42. A pair of three-pointers extended UW's lead to 67-43, forcing a Minnesota timeout with 7:59 left. After a cold-shooting first half, the Badgers were 11-of-16 (.688), including 6-of-10 from three-point range and 9-of-9 at the line in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Another three gave the Badgers a 70-43 lead before Rigsby added a pair of free throws for the Gophers. Garcia scored on a layup with 4:24 left to reach 20 points for the ninth time this season, and it started a 14-6 Gophers run to trim the final margin to 80-59. Williams tallied five points during the closing stretch, with Garcia and Rigsby adding four each.
Minnesota remains on the road, facing Maryland on Monday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Garcia made 8-of-17 field goals, including 1-of-3 three-pointers, and was 5-of-8 at the free throw line. His double-double was the 15th of his career and his 11th at Minnesota. Femi Odukale added eight points, seven rebounds, and a team-high four assists, while Lu'Cye Patterson added six points, four boards, and three assists. Mike Mitchell Jr. finished with five points, while Brennan Rigsby added seven, Frank Mitchell had six points and three rebounds, and Caleb Williams had five.
The Gophers made 22-of-57 (.386) field goals, including 7-of-19 (.368) three-pointers, and were 8-of-13 (.615) at the charity stripe. Wisconsin (13-3, 3-2 B1G), which is receiving votes in both national polls, was 25-of-57 (.439) from the field, including 11-of-28 (.393) from long-range and was 19-of-24 (.792) at the line. The Badgers, who held a slim 37-36 rebounding edge, were led by Steven Crowl's 18 points, while John Tonje had 16, and Kamari McGee added 15.
Minnesota jumped out to a 10-2 start, with Mitchell Jr. hitting a baseline jumper, Patterson making a three from the top of the key, Garcia scoring on a layup, and Odukale adding a three-pointer. The Badgers cut the lead to 10-5, but Garcia connected from long-range and added a jumper in the lane to put the Gophers up, 15-5. Minnesota opened the game 6-of-10, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, while Wisconsin was 2-of-10 and 1-of-7 from distance. The Badgers went on a 10-0 run to tie the score with 9:46 left, before Mitchell's putback finally ended the Gophers' five-minute, 12-second scoring drought to make it 17-15. The Badgers used a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the night, but Garcia reached double-figures with a three-point play to tie the score at 20-20. Odukale went on a personal 5-0 spurt to help the Gophers reclaim a 25-22 edge, but Wisconsin answered with a 6-0 run. Garcia hit a turnaround bank shot to pull Minnesota within one at 28-27, and his spinning one-handed floater in the lane rolled in to end the first-half scoring with Minnesota trailing, 30-29.
Minnesota wound up making 12-of-33 (.364) first-half field goals, including 4-of-11 (.364) three-pointers, and the Gophers had a 24-19 rebounding advantage. Wisconsin was 10-of-31 (.323), including 3-of-13 (.231) from beyond the arc, but the Badgers were 7-of-7 at the line, while Minnesota was 1-of-2. Garcia led all scorers with 14 points at the break, while adding eight rebounds, while Crowl led the Badgers with nine points.
Garcia hit a pair of free throws to give Minnesota a 31-30 lead to start the second half, but UW answered with a 7-0 run before Mitchell's dunk made it 37-33. The Badgers added two three-pointers to stretch the lead to 10 points, 43-33, at the first media timeout. Mitchell made a jumper in the lane to cut the deficit to 43-35, and layups by Garcia and Patterson pulled Minnesota within 45-39, but the Badgers responded with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 14 points. Mitchell Jr. hit his lone three-pointer of the night to cut it to 53-42 with 10:48 remaining, but Wisconsin put together another 8-0 run to stretch its advantage to 61-42. A pair of three-pointers extended UW's lead to 67-43, forcing a Minnesota timeout with 7:59 left. After a cold-shooting first half, the Badgers were 11-of-16 (.688), including 6-of-10 from three-point range and 9-of-9 at the line in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Another three gave the Badgers a 70-43 lead before Rigsby added a pair of free throws for the Gophers. Garcia scored on a layup with 4:24 left to reach 20 points for the ninth time this season, and it started a 14-6 Gophers run to trim the final margin to 80-59. Williams tallied five points during the closing stretch, with Garcia and Rigsby adding four each.
Minnesota remains on the road, facing Maryland on Monday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
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