Minnesota stunned No. 20 Michigan in overtime, thanks to a remarkable 3-pointer by Dawson Garcia from the edge of the center-court logo, sealing an 84-81 victory on Thursday night.
The Wolverines managed to tie the game with Danny Wolf’s driving layup just seven seconds before the final buzzer. However, the Gophers quickly advanced the ball, and Lu’Cye Patterson found Garcia in the perfect spot near the “M” logo for the game-winning shot, marking coach Ben Johnson’s inaugural victory against a ranked opponent.
Garcia, who had previously sent the game into overtime with two free throws with 7.4 seconds left, concluded the night with impressive stats: 27 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Gophers (9-10, 1-6 Big Ten) to a crucial win. Patterson also shone, contributing 22 points—15 of which came in the second half—while Mike Mitchell Jr. added 20 points to the scoreboard.
On the opposing side, Wolf led Michigan (13-4, 5-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Vladislav Goldin chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Will Tschetter and Tre Donaldson scored 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Takeaways
Michigan: The Wolverines have faced a tough stretch, with all four of their losses this season coming by a mere total of eight points.
Minnesota: After an unexpected middle-of-the-pack finish last year, Johnson’s squad, which has been affected by player transfers, displayed remarkable resilience, rallying from a 10-point deficit in the second half.
Key moment
In a pivotal moment during the second half, with Michigan in the lead at 51-42, Patterson hit two free throws and then a 3-pointer. After Goldin missed a wide-open dunk, Patterson added a baseline jumper, and following a Wolverines turnover, Garcia scored in transition to tie the game at 51.
Key stat
The Wolverines, who had been shooting an impressive 46.3% from beyond the arc over their last five games, continued their strong performance, hitting 11-of-22 from 3-point range, marking their sixth consecutive game with 10 or more 3-pointers.
Up next
Michigan will host Northwestern on Sunday, while Minnesota travels to face Iowa on Tuesday night.
