Gophers men’s basketball team falls to Michigan State in first Big Ten matchup

Ben Johnson was concerned about how his newcomer-laden Gophers men’s basketball team would handle playing its first Big Ten opponent.

For six players, this was the first game in arguably the most physical league in college basketball — and it showed in a 90-72 loss Wednesday against Michigan State at Williams Arena.

“That’s a big step for this team now that they’ve seen what force and physicality looks like,” Johnson said. “I just told them we’ll have 19-20 of these left. It’s all the same. If you don’t bring that certain type of edge and physicality, it’s going to be tough.”

In typical Tom Izzo fashion, the Spartans were bullies on the boards Wednesday with a 24-8 halftime rebounding edge, including 18-3 to start the game. That set the tone.

The Gophers (6-4) have been the worst offensive team in the Big Ten but one of the best defensively. That flipped Wednesday with leading scorer Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell Jr. combining for 35 points, but they allowed Michigan State to shoot 53% from the field – the first opponent to shoot over 50% this season.

The Spartans (7-2) got 43 points off the bench and also scored 27 fast-break points, but the most surprising stat was 11-for-22 from long range for a team ranked last in the country at 22.4% from three entering the game.

“It’s a message to the guys who haven’t been in the Big Ten before,” said Garcia, who led the Gophers with 18 points and 11 rebounds. “Nobody cares. It’s going to continue to spiral if you let it spiral.”

Taking a 12-9 lead, with Garcia’s three capping a 10-0 run, gave the home crowd hope early the Gophers could beat the Spartans again like their 59-56 upset at the Barn last February.

This is a different version of the Gophers, though, who hadn’t played competition nearly as strong as Michigan State yet this year. The result was being outscored 20-2 during one stretch of the first half, including the Spartans getting 17 consecutive points after former Cretin-Derham Hall star Tre Holloman’s three made it 29-14 with 7:17 remaining. Holloman had eight points and eight assists.

The Gophers trailed 42-30 at halftime, but the Spartans stretched that advantage to 74-54 just under six minutes left in the second half.

Johnson’s team got a taste of tougher competition when the U lost to Wichita State and Wake Forest in Orlando. Both opponents threw everything they had at shutting down Garcia, but the Gophers still had a chance to win both games down the stretch by defending.

Michigan State showed up Wednesday with more grit combined with a longer, deeper and more athletic team than the Gophers had faced before.

Xavier Booker and Coen Carr, who combined for 23 points off the bench, both resembled NBA-caliber athletes who were too difficult to stick with on the move. Jaxon Kohler, a 6-9, 245-pound bruiser, pounded his way to 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“What we emphasized and talked about in the scout is exactly what we saw,” Johnson said. “It’s that consistency part. It’s not having the breakdowns against good teams. Where one breakdown leads to two and to three.”

Mitchell was the biggest bright spot Wednesday, making his first appearance since suffering a high ankle sprain Nov. 9 against Nebraska Omaha. After missing seven games, the senior guard hit four of his five three-pointers in the second half to finish with 17 points off the bench.

Mitchell’s return should give the Gophers a chance to generate more offense, but continued defensive mishaps won’t look pretty on the scoreboard Monday at Indiana.

“That’s what we were talking about in the locker room,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got 19 more [games] and have to keep our heads high and regroup in the next one. Indiana’s not going to show us any mercy.”