The Gophers men’s basketball team had no Big Ten-ACC Challenge, no Gavitt Games and no preconference tournament to play this season.
Missouri wasn’t only the first big test of the season. This was the only major conference opponent outside the Big Ten and biggest nonconference matchup at Williams Arena.
That’s why third-year coach Ben Johnson took to social media this week with a video encouraging students to show up early to get 100 free tickets.
The best crowd of the season so far, an announced 7,975, saw the Gophers get off to a hot start and lead an SEC foe by 20 points in the second half, but they failed to finish the job in a deflating 70-68 loss.
The Gophers (2-1) were held scoreless in the last six minutes of the game, but they led 59-39 with 11:25 left in the second half. That wouldn’t be enough of a cushion.
Forcing 16 turnovers, Missouri outscored Minnesota 31-9 to finish. And the Tigers came up with a critical stop forcing an errant jumper by Cam Christie with 16.6 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Missouri went to Sean East II, who scored on a three-point play with nine seconds left for the Tigers’ first lead of the night to seal the comeback win.
The Tigers (3-1) had the momentum for good after four free throws from Tamar Bates in 31 seconds made it 67-67 with just under two minutes to play.
Dawson Garcia, who led the Gophers with 16 points and nine rebounds, drew a foul posting up on the ensuing play, but he hit only one of two free throws for a one-point advantage. Christie, who had 18 points in his freshman debut last week, missed a three-point attempt as time expired.
The Gophers went 0-3 against major conference opponents during their nonleague schedule last season, including losses to DePaul and Mississippi State by a combined 34 points at home.
A year later, the Gophers outplayed Missouri for most of the game Thursday night, but they ran into an experienced opponent that wouldn’t bow out with a fight.
Minnesota’s home-and-home series with Missouri (also playing in Columbia in 2024) was a much-needed marquee game on the early schedule. Johnson hoped it would be an exciting matchup for fans, but his team needed to do its part.
In the first half, the Gophers couldn’t have started better offensively. They opened 7-for-8 from the field, including four of five starters combining to shoot 5-for-5 from three-point range. There was definitely a carryover in confidence from the 14 threes they hit in the 102-76 win vs. Texas San Antonio last week.
Garcia and Elijah Hawkins nailed back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to ignite the crowd up 19-12 with just under 15 minutes left in the first half. The Gophers let a 10-point lead dwindle after a five-minute scoring drought, but they still led 38-32 at halftime.
Last season, the 9-22 Gophers might have been overmatched against the Tigers, who won 25 games and won an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2010. Second-year Missouri coach Dennis Gates applauded Johnson for adding more talent to the roster — and it showed Thursday.
After missing last week’s game vs. UTSA with a foot injury, Pharrel Payne came off the bench to score six points in seven minutes in the first half. Payne’s block gave the Gophers momentum going into halftime.
In the second half, the Gophers used an 8-0 run to take a 46-32 lead after Hawkins connected with Joshua Ola-Joseph off a steal. Both teams entered the game playing fast, but the Gophers seemed more comfortable battling in the halfcourt as well, especially on the boards.
Missouri’s Caleb Grill slapped the floor after a no call falling out of bounds with just under 13 minutes left. Grill was ejected from the game after bumping the official in frustration. Garcia hit four technical free throws to extend it to a 15-point game.