Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson knocked on wood when asked about the health of his team in the Williams Arena media room on Tuesday. As he shared no concerns, he tapped his knuckles on the table a few times.

The U’s luck didn’t carry over to Wednesday in the Big Ten home opener at The Barn.

And it ran out with their best player.

Dawson Garcia played only seven minutes with an injured left ankle, and without their all-Big Ten forward, the U fell into a 17-point hole.

But the Gophers didn’t let it derail them in a 76-65 win over Nebraska.

In his third season, Johnson was carved out any way he can think of for his team to experience winning. And Wednesday’s conference win resilient and significant one, given who they were without.

Less than three minutes into the game, Garcia had crumpled onto the court after going up for a rebound and landing awkwardly. He tried to walk it off, but was subbed out and headed to the locker room.

Garcia returned to the court nearly 15 minutes later but was hobbled and couldn’t play more than the few minutes on each side of the half. After a career high 36 points in the Ohio State loss, Garcia didn’t score Wednesday.

When Garcia was injured, Johnson’s first thought was to limit how the team felt Garcia’s absence and find a way to give them confidence even if Garcia doesn’t come back.

“You don’t want them to feel that and now they are zapped,” Johnson said. “And they feel there is no hope. That is why in the first half, you can’t lose your mind when you want to and you are down 17 because they will feel that,”

Minnesota won with  five players in double figures, with Joshua Ola-Joseph’s 15 points and five offensive rebounds. Elijah Hawkins was under control with 12 points and 11 assists.

Minnesota, a two point underdog, used a 13-0 run to tie it 42-42 and extended it to a 58-48 lead.

Nebraska’s leading scorer Keisie Tominaga was shut down by Gophers guard Braeden Carrington. Tominaga, who averaged 15.5 points per game, was held to four points on 0-for-5 shooting.

Brice Williams, who killed the Gophers with 17 first-half points, fouled out with six minutes remaining.

The shiny Big Ten tournament trophy was at Williams Arena on Wednesday to promote this year’s site being Target Center.

Both teams played in the tournament’s first round in Indianapolis. Neither came close to lifting it a year ago. And each have had inauspicious starts to the season.

Minnesota (6-3, 1-1 Big Ten) has lost all three games against higher-level competition, including falling in a 22-point hole in a 84-74 loss to Ohio State on Sunday.

Nebraska (7-2, 0-1) is the oldest team on average in the Big Ten and some of the steam to their undefeated start hissed out with a 89-60 home loss to No. 15 Creighton on Sunday.

The Gophers will have four more nonconference games to round out December before an 18-game Big Ten finish.

This stretch will give Garcia time to get healthy before the next conference game against Michigan on Jan. 4.

For the first time in eight games, Johnson made a change to the starting five, with Cam Christie making his first start in place of Isaiah Ihnen.

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