You could make a case that third-year coach Ben Johnson has nine players who could start for the Gophers men’s basketball team this season.
Johnson can throw several different rotations at opponents. Big or small. Fast or slow.
Juggling lineups made it tough for the Gophers to find rhythm early in both halves, but strength in numbers eventually wore down Arkansas-Pine Bluff in an 86-67 victory at Williams Arena.
The Gophers (4-1) saw a 21-point lead shrink to 61-53 midway through the second half. The Barn’s somber vibe was reminiscent of last week’s 70-68 loss against Missouri — the Gophers blew a 20-point second-half advantage — but this time they ended the game on a 25-14 run.
“Our bench came up big,” said Johnson, who got 31 points from reserves. “Especially in that second half. They brought some life. They brought some competitive spirit. It’s nice to go to those guys and they can pick us up.”
Dawson Garcia had a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds for the Gophers, who finished with 11 three-pointers but shot 3-for-14 from long distance in the second half.
Instead of relying on jump shots, the Gophers got their go-to guy going inside and found success in transition late in the game.
Garcia converted the three-point play after muscling in a layup plus the foul at the 10-minute mark to get the U’s lead back to double figures. Back-to-back dunks from Joshua Ola-Joseph, who finished with 12 points, stretched it to a 15-point lead with just under six minutes to play.
In the first half, the Gophers exchanged baskets early until Johnson utilized his depth. Coming off the bench were arguably the team’s two most talented young players, sophomore forward Pharrel Payne and freshman guard Cam Christie, who combined for seven points during a 10-0 run. Christie finished with 14 points. Payne had six points and five rebounds in 10 minutes.
“It’s nothing major,” Johnson said about Payne, who has been nursing a foot injury. “We’ve been limiting him in practice. I don’t want to go above 20 minutes with him … but the energy he’s been giving us off the bench is good.”
Minnesota’s starting point guard Elijah Hawkins sat for several minutes, but he was ready to run once he returned. Hawkins connected twice with teammates to set up dunks, including on an alley-oop to Ola-Joseph to draw cheers from fans.
Ola-Joseph and Mike Mitchell Jr. nailed back-to-back threes for a 51-30 lead just before halftime.
In the past three games, Johnson’s starting lineup wasn’t necessarily his best offensive unit, but the Gophers executed their game plan by slowing down the opponent’s top scorer. On Tuesday, Braeden Carrington held Kylen Milton to eight points after the latter entered the game ranked fifth in the nation averaging 23.8 points.
Pine Bluff’s Rashad Williams finished with 26 points, but he had only six on 2-for-7 shooting in the second half.
After being held scoreless from the field for six minutes in a tough loss against Missouri, the Gophers learned how to finish strong. They outscored USC Upstate 10-1 in a victory last Saturday and took care of Pine Bluff in a similar fashion Tuesday night by making their final five shots.