CHICAGO (AP) Dawson Garcia had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and Ta'lon Cooper had 16 points and set the program record for assists in a Big Ten Tournament game with 12 to help Minnesota Golden Gophers beat Nebraska Cornhuskers 78-75 Wednesday night in an opening-round game.
The 14th-seeded Golden Gophers, who have won two of their last three following a 12-game skid, play No. 6 seed Maryland in the second round Thursday. The Terrapins swept the season series with Minnesota, winning the two games by a combined 53 points.
Garcia has three double-doubles this season - all against the Cornhuskers. Jaden Henley added 14 points for Minnesota (9-21) and Jamison Battle scored 13 with eight rebounds.
Henley was fouled on a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and hit all three free throws to give Minnesota a six-point lead with three minutes to go. Sam Griesel scored back-to-back contested baskets to pull the Cornhuskers to 63-61 with 1:39 remaining but Nebraska was called for offensive fouls on their next two possessions before Cooper made 1-of-2 free throws to put the Golden Gophers up by three with 27 seconds to go.
Griesel went high in the air to snag a long inbounds pass and then hit a cutting Keisei Tominaga for a layup to make it 64-63 with 20 seconds left. But Cooper hit 3 of 4 from the free throw-line from there - and Tominaga missed a potential tying shot from near midcourt at the buzzer.
Tominaga led No. 11 seed Nebraska (16-16) with 23 points, his 10th straight game scoring in double figures, including seven with at least 20. Griesel scored all his 16 points in the second half and finished with 12 rebounds and four assists. Jamarques Lawrence and Derrick Walker Jr. added 12 points apiece.
Minnesota committed four turnovers and started 0 for 4 from the field before Lawrence was fouled as he banked in a 3-pointer and hit the and-1 free throw to give the Cornhuskers an 8-0 lead about four minutes into the game.
Garcia hit a 3-pointer that gave the Gophers the lead for good at 18-16 with 8:32 left in the first half and Nebraska trailed the rest of the way.
Minnesota shot 52% (27 of 52) from the field, made 10 of 24 from 3-point range and had a season-high 25 assists.
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1st Half
MINN
Golden Gophers
37
NEB
Cornhuskers
33
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Cornhuskers gains possession)
19:50
Jamarques Lawrence misses two point layup
19:48
Joshua Ola-Joseph defensive rebound
19:33
Joshua Ola-Joseph turnover (bad pass)
19:21
+2
Derrick Walker makes two point layup (C.J. Wilcher assists)
0-2
19:01
Jaden Henley turnover (bad pass)
18:40
Keisei Tominaga misses three point jump shot
18:38
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
18:28
Jaden Henley offensive foul (Keisei Tominaga draws the foul)
18:28
Jaden Henley turnover (offensive foul)
18:18
+2
Derrick Walker makes two point layup
0-4
17:59
Joshua Ola-Joseph misses two point layup
17:57
Derrick Walker defensive rebound
17:51
Jamarques Lawrence misses three point jump shot
17:49
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
17:40
Jamison Battle misses three point jump shot
17:38
Sam Griesel defensive rebound
17:31
Jamarques Lawrence misses three point jump shot
17:29
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
17:21
Ta'Lon Cooper turnover (bad pass)
17:09
Jamison Battle personal foul (Sam Griesel draws the foul)
17:01
Jamarques Lawrence misses three point jump shot
16:59
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
16:33
Jamison Battle misses two point jump shot
16:31
Sam Griesel defensive rebound
16:16
Ta'Lon Cooper blocks Sam Griesel's two point jump shot
16:14
Sam Griesel offensive rebound
16:07
Sam Griesel misses two point jump shot
16:05
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
15:54
Jaden Henley misses two point jump shot
15:52
Sam Griesel defensive rebound
15:41
+3
Jamarques Lawrence makes three point jump shot (Sam Griesel assists)
0-7
15:41
Dawson Garcia shooting foul (Jamarques Lawrence draws the foul)
15:41
TV timeout
15:41
+1
Jamarques Lawrence makes regular free throw 1 of 1
0-8
15:27
Sam Hoiberg shooting foul (Ta'Lon Cooper draws the foul)
15:27
+1
Ta'Lon Cooper makes regular free throw 1 of 2
1-8
15:27
+1
Ta'Lon Cooper makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-8
15:05
C.J. Wilcher misses three point jump shot
15:03
Jaden Henley defensive rebound
14:43
Jaden Henley misses two point jump shot
14:41
Derrick Walker defensive rebound
14:34
Pharrel Payne shooting foul (Derrick Walker draws the foul)
14:34
Derrick Walker misses regular free throw 1 of 2
14:34
Derrick Walker misses regular free throw 2 of 2
14:34
Pharrel Payne defensive rebound
14:15
+2
Pharrel Payne makes two point dunk (Ta'Lon Cooper assists)
4-8
13:50
Keisei Tominaga misses three point jump shot
13:48
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
13:29
+2
Jaden Henley makes two point jump shot (Jamison Battle assists)
6-8
13:03
+2
Derrick Walker makes two point layup
6-10
12:38
+3
Jamison Battle makes three point jump shot (Dawson Garcia assists)
9-10
12:23
Wilhelm Breidenbach misses two point layup
12:21
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
12:08
Derrick Walker shooting foul (Pharrel Payne draws the foul)
12:08
Pharrel Payne misses regular free throw 1 of 2
12:08
Pharrel Payne misses regular free throw 2 of 2
12:08
Dawson Garcia offensive rebound
12:03
Dawson Garcia misses three point jump shot
12:01
Wilhelm Breidenbach defensive rebound
11:45
+2
Keisei Tominaga makes two point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists)
9-12
11:45
Braeden Carrington shooting foul (Keisei Tominaga draws the foul)
11:45
TV timeout
11:45
+1
Keisei Tominaga makes regular free throw 1 of 1
9-13
11:30
+2
Dawson Garcia makes two point layup
11-13
11:02
Sam Griesel misses two point jump shot
11:00
Pharrel Payne defensive rebound
10:44
+2
Dawson Garcia makes two point layup (Jamison Battle assists)