Gophers men's basketball cruises past Oral Roberts in season opener

The new-look Gophers showcased some impressive potential on Wednesday night.

Nov 6, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) works around Oral Roberts Golden Eagles forward Sam Alajiki (64) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Gophers head coach Ben Johnson opened his fourth season at the helm leading Minnesota to an impressive 80-57 win over Oral Roberts Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

With projected starter Frank Mitchell dealing with a shoulder injury, the Gophers began with Lu'Cye Patterson, Mike Mitchell Jr., Brennan Rigsby, Parker Fox and Dawson Garcia in the starting lineup. Things began fast with a sense of urgency and they never really looked back.

Garcia lived up to his preseason All-Big Ten billing in the first half with an impressive 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Minnesota led 38-24 going into the break.

It seemed like another opportunity for Johnson and his staff to learn about his new-look squad following last month's exhibitions. Fox made his second career start in a Minnesota uniform and after going a combined 10-of-10 in the two exhibitions, he continued his perfect streak from the field, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

The return of the flying Fox 🦊@Parkerfox24
Subscribe/stream on B1G+ https://t.co/nJnnCBF5dj pic.twitter.com/BuIMQjQ6rc

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) November 7, 2024

New Mexico State transfer Femi Odukale missed both of the team's exhibitions due to injury, but he was able to get back into the flow of things. He played 18 minutes and showcased his versatility with 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 4 steals.

Garcia's season debut was a doozy, as he finished with 30 points, which was his fourth 30-point game in a Gophers uniform. He was uber-efficient, shooting 11-of-14 from the field with eight rebounds.

It was an all-around team effort for the Gophers. They only had three players score in double figures, but they controlled the entire game and cruised to an 80-57 victory. As a team, they shot 57.7% from the field and Oral Roberts didn't have an answer all night and shot 34.5%.

Minnesota will have another non-conference test against the Summit League on Saturday when they host Omaha at the Barn at 2:30 p.m. CT.