The Gophers shot 31% from the field Wednesday, their lowest field-goal percentage in a game since shooting 29% in a loss to Mississippi State in 2022, at home.
It’s one thing to be shut down by a Nebraska team that reached the NCAA tournament, but North Texas was projected to finish near the bottom of the American Athletic Conference this season.
The Gophers outscored North Texas in the second half 37-31. Following two three-pointers from Garcia, Patterson drilled his first shot from beyond the arc to make it 32-30. Trey Edmonds and Garcia both scored four straight points to tie it at 38-38.
A Brennan Rigsby three-pointer gave the Gophers their first lead of the game, 43-42, with 7 minutes, 27 seconds to play, but the Mean Green answered with an 8-0 run to pull ahead for good.
Garcia shot 6-for-9 from the field and 10-for-10 on free throws Wednesday. But Patterson was the No. 2 scorer with nine points on 3-for-14 shooting. The Gophers had 13 turnovers and were 6-for-23 on three-pointers.
Entering Wednesday, the Gophers, UCLA and Washington were the only Big Ten teams with fewer than two players averaging double figures for the season. Garcia was the only double-figure scorer for Minnesota at 27 points per game.
