Gophers' balanced scoring is more than enough to stop Ball State

Dawson Garcia changed from street clothes into his uniform just before the Gophers played Thursday night against Ball State, but he had no intention of playing.

The plan for weeks had been for the Gophers to buy as much time as possible to rest their leading scorer's injured ankle with two games left before Big Ten play resumes Jan. 4 at Michigan.

In the meantime, Gophers coach Ben Johnson has found a variety of scoring options in Garcia's absence.

That offensive balance was on full display with five starters in double figures in an 80-63 win Thursday against the Cardinals at Williams Arena.

Mike Mitchell Jr., who had a season-high 20 points, was the third different player to lead the Gophers (9-3) in scoring during their four-game win streak.

"We're a balanced team," Johnson said. "When Dawson went down, we really tried to focus on opportunities for us to grow as a team. For guys to grow individually and make that balance and depth hopefully a strength."

After leading by 17 points in the first half, the Gophers were tested late, but there were no signs of being flat offensively coming off a nine-day break. They shot 53% from the field, while finishing with 22 assists and just six turnovers.

"I've never been able to play on a team like this where everybody is so unselfish," Mitchell said. "And we're just looking for the best shot at all times. It's really beautiful. If we can keep this up, then sky's the limit."

Despite being picked to finish eighth in the Mid-American Conference, Ball State (8-4) trailed only 64-57 with 7 ½ minutes to play after a three-point play by Jalin Anderson, who had 14 of his 26 points in the second half.

Normally, the Gophers would have defensive stopper Braeden Carrington trying to lock Anderson down. But Carrington missed his second game while taking a leave of absence to focus on his mental health.

Missing two starters, the Gophers thwarted Ball State's late comeback attempt with an 11-0 run fueled by Joshua Ola-Joseph and Pharrel Payne in the second half. Ola-Joseph scored seven of his 12 points during the rally, including a three-point play to make it 75-57.

Payne, who finished with 13 points in his third start replacing Garcia, made Gophers fans gasp early in the second half when he landed hard on his head falling after a blocked layup.

The 6-9 sophomore's return after being checked out by medical staff was crucial to match Ball State's big man Basheer Jihad, who had 13 of his 17 points in the second half.

"I feel like I've been able to grow," Payne said. "But I also have been able to fall back on my teammates like Mike. I think it's a team effort or us to be able to win."

Garcia, who was injured Dec. 6 vs. Nebraska, hasn't played a full game since his 36-point performance in a Dec. 3 loss at Ohio State. The Gophers have been relying on different players to fill his offensive role since then.

Elijah Hawkins, who followed up his record-setting 17 assists last week with nine assists Thursday, orchestrates the offense.

But the go-to guy at first was Ola-Joseph. Then it was Cam Christie, who had 11 points Thursday. Now it was Mitchell's turn while scoring his fourth straight game in double figures.

"We have so many threats on the court," Mitchell said. "It makes it easy for me to knock down shots."