COLOMBUS, OHIO – Jamison Battle dismissed the idea that the first Big Ten game against his former Gophers team was just another game Sunday night, but it was obvious from the start.
The former Gophers standout scored eight of Ohio State’s first 11 points, including the first two three-pointers in Big Ten play with his new squad.
Battle had the same number of field goals in about 90 seconds than his former teammate Dawson Garcia had in the entire first half. But the two Minnesota natives dueled throughout the rest of the game.
Garcia eventually got the best of the individual matchup with 36 points to Battle’s 25 points, but it wasn’t enough. Unlike last season’s upset, the Gophers were facing a better Buckeyes’ team in an 84-74 Big Ten-opening loss Sunday at Value City Arena.
“I thought the fight was there in the second half,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said. “But on the road against a good team, you can’t dig yourself that hole and constantly have to fight back the whole game.”
The Gophers (5-3) upset Ohio State for their only road win last season, but they had Battle and Garcia also scored a then career-high 28 points. In the rematch Sunday, the Buckeyes also saw Bruce Thornton led the way with 26 points.
Elijah Hawkins and Cam Christie were the other players other than Garcia scoring in double figures for the Gophers, who had nine of their 13 turnovers in the first half.
After leading by 22 points in the first half, the Buckeyes (7-1) saw their advantage cut in half several times. First with Minnesota’s 10-0 run, including eight straight points to end the first half.
Pharrel Payne’s dunk to beat the buzzer made it a 42-28 Gophers’ deficit at halftime. Garcia, who had 28 points in the second half, put Ben Johnson’s team on his back. But the Buckeyes had the answer this time to get their revenge from last season.
Garcia’s 10 straight points in the second half had Ohio State reeling but Battle also had eight straight points to keep the Buckeye lead from completely vanishing. He couldn’t stop Garcia. None of the defenders coach Chris Holtmann used slowed him down.
With just under six minutes to play, Garcia tipped in a basket to make it a nine-point game. He would soon eclipse his career high on the ensuing possession for his 30th point to keep it within single digits.
Christie’s three-pointer cut it to 72-66 with 3:23 remaining, but Battle responded with a big three to ignite the home crowd. It would be the first of three straight drilled from beyond the arc, including from Roddy Gayle for an 81-70 game under two minutes.
The Buckeyes, a borderline top 25 team this week, won their sixth straight game Sunday, most notably against No. 17 Alabama last month. They have so far completed a turnaround from last season’s 13th place finish in the Big Ten.
Johnson’s Gophers were in last place for the second straight season in 2022-23, but they showed even in defeat Sunday that this could be a different year with Garcia leading the way.