Dawson Garcia hit a buzzer-beater from the mid-court logo as time expired to lift Minnesota to an 84-81 overtime upset of No. 20 Michigan on Thursday night. The desperation heave sparked a frenzied celebration inside Williams Arena as the Gophers (10-9, 1-6 Big Ten) secured their first conference victory.
It was an outcome that looked highly improbable in the first half as the Wolverines (13-4, 5-1) entered unbeaten in league play and favored by 9.5 points. But Michigan had no answer for Garcia, who scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the second half and overtime as the Gophers rallied from a 40-31 halftime deficit.
Lu’Cye Patterson also had a season-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half, to aid the Gophers. Mike Mitchell Jr. added 20 for Minnesota, which never led by more than three points.
Garcia also hit a pair of game-tying free throws with seven seconds remaining in regulation to help force overtime. The 6-11 forward entered averaging a career-best 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. The fifth-year star has been one of the few bright spots for a team that lost in excruciating fashion to Ohio State in its last home game and yet to beat an opponent from a power conference before Thursday.
Michigan entered on the heels of three straight double-digit victories over Big Ten opponents with first-year coach Dusty May orchestrating an impressive turnaround for a program that finished 8-24 last season. But the Wolverines forced just six turnovers against the Gophers and struggled to contain Garcia and Patterson during the second half.
