The only one who could slow down Dawson Garcia in the first half of the Gophers’ season opener on Wednesday was Ben Johnson.

The preseason all-Big Ten forward didn’t miss any of his six shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, before Minnesota’s head coach subbed him out with 16 minutes and 10 minutes remaining before halftime.

Garcia’s hot start and second-half surge paced Minnesota to an 80-57 win over Oral Roberts at Williams Arena.

In the second half, Garcia picked up where he left off. The Savage, Minn., native finished with 30 points on 11 of 14 from the field and eight rebounds. He got a curtain call with less than three minutes left in the game.

Minnesota’s defense limited Summit League player of the year favorite Issac McBride to 1 for 7 from the field in the first half. The senior finished with a quiet 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting; he was a top 40 scorer in the nation at 19.8 points per game last year.

With Tyler Cochran injured, the Gophers’ best perimeter defenders this season are Femi Odukale and Mike Mitchell, according to Johnson. At Toledo last season, Cochran was the Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year, but he is out until December with a foot injury.

Odukale, Mitchell and true freshman Isaac Asuma each spent time on McBride.

Minnesota distributed the ball well Wednesday, with 25 assists on 30 baskets. Mitchell had a game-high nine assists while backup center Trey Edmonds had a surprising six assists.

With Garcia’s big production, Parker Fox and Lu’Cye Patterson were the only other two Gophers in double digits. Fox had 14 and Patterson 10.

The Gophers burst out to a 29-8 lead with eight minutes left in the first half and built it back up to to 28 points at 74-46 with four minutes remaining in the game.

Oral Roberts went 12-19 last season and is picked to finish fifth in the nine-team Summit League this season.

The Gophers’ starting lineup was Garcia, Mitchell, Patterson, Fox and Brennan Rigsby. Asuma, Trey Edmonds and Femi Odukale were the first players off the bench. Kadyn Betts also got minutes in a nine-man rotation.

Minnesota was down to 10 scholarship players Wednesday with three sidelined: Cochran, Frank Mitchell (shoulder) and Caleb William (illness).

Related Articles

Gophers’ Parker Fox brings ‘life’ in eighth year of college basketball

Men’s basketball: Gophers add three-star wing Jacob Ross to 2025 recruiting class

Men’s basketball: Gophers start sluggish but finish strong in exhibition win over Bemidji State

Expected to finish last, Gophers’ Ben Johnson pushes back on Big Ten basketball preseason poll

Gophers transfer guard Tyler Cochran has surgery, out until December