MINNEAPOLIS — In a strong performance, Dawson Garcia led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a 79-62 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, helping the team recover from two recent tournament defeats as they prepared for the Big Ten Conference season.

The Gophers experienced setbacks at the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where they narrowly lost to Wichita State by two points and fell short against Wake Forest by six points. They will kick off their Big Ten campaign against Michigan State at home on Wednesday.

The game saw the Wildcats come close in the first half when Brayon Freeman’s jumper brought them within five points at 16-11. However, a pivotal jumper from Lu’Cye Patterson initiated a solid 14-2 run for the Gophers, highlighted by Trey Edmonds scoring seven points during this stretch, allowing Minnesota to lead 38-26 by halftime.

After intermission, Bethune-Cookman made a strong start with Reggie Ward Jr. scoring a layup followed by consecutive three-pointers from Trey Thomas, cutting the deficit to just four points at 38-34. Garcia quickly responded with a three-pointer and a layup, igniting a decisive ten-point run that ensured Minnesota’s lead remained in double figures throughout the remainder of the match.

Garcia concluded the game with an impressive shooting performance, going 8 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and hitting all five free throw attempts, contributing 23 points for the Gophers (6-3). Brennan Rigsby also made a notable impact by scoring 14 points, hitting 4 of 8 from three-point range.

For the Wildcats (2-6), Freeman shone brightly with 21 points, making 5 of 7 attempts from three-point territory, and providing five assists. Thomas added 18 points with his 3 of 5 shooting from behind the arc, while Ward recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.