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Dawson Garcia leads Gophers to 17-point comeback on the road against UCLA

Garcia looked like a superstar on Tuesday night.

Tony Liebert

Feb 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) drives against UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Feb 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) drives against UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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Minnesota has a history with UCLA in the NCAA Tournament, but Wednesday night was their first matchup ever matchup at Pauley Pavilion. The red-hot Gophers staged a 17-point comeback to leave L.A. with an impressive 64-61 win over the Bruins.

Despite a career-high game from Frank Mitchell in Saturday's win over USC, Ben Johnson and his staff opted to roll with their most common starting lineup this season. Minnesota came out strong, but a pair of missed wide-open layups gave UCLA the opportunity to jump out to a quick 12-4 lead heading into the first media timeout.

Much like the Gophers' win over USC, they didn't hold a single lead in the first half, but they went on a much-needed run before heading into the locker room. UCLA's No.-1-ranked defense in the Big Ten forced Minnesota to go 4 of 14 from three and cough up 10 turnovers, including four shot-clock violations, the first 20 minutes. The Bruins led 34-23 heading into the break.

After five first-half points, Dawson Garcia added five quick points to open the second half and Minnesota cut UCLA's lead to 36-31. He found his groove offensively and it brought the Gophers back into the game.

Garcia truly put the team on his back and netted 27 second-half points, bringing his total for the game to 32. The Gophers trailed by 17 points with 6:23 to go in the first half, but they fought all the way back and took their first lead of the night 60-59 with 56 seconds to go.

A pair of huge plays down the stretch from Lu'Cye Patterson put Minnesota on top 64-61 as they become only the second Big Ten team this season to sweep the L.A. road trip against USC and UCLA. The Gophers' 12-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line was huge, as the Bruins shot 9 of 19 as a team from the stripe.

The Gophers move to 14-12 overall and 6-9 in the Big Ten, as they will now travel back to Minnesota for a more favorable matchup against 17th-place Penn State on Saturday afternoon at the Barn.

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Tony Liebert
TONY LIEBERT

Tony Liebert is particularly known for his coverage of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though he also contributes to coverage of the Minnesota Vikings, Timberwolves and Twins. His writing style is noted for providing in-depth analysis and insights, making him a go-to source for fans looking for comprehensive coverage of Minnesota sports.

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