By R.L. Bynum
Justin McKoy put up his first career double-double in another Hawaii win Thursday night and Dawson Garcia produced good numbers again for Minnesota, but in a heartbreaking first loss after blowing a 20-point second-half lead.
Garcia collected 16 points and nine rebounds, but Minnesota lost 70–68 at home against Missouri after going without a field goal for the last six minutes.
“Credit to Missouri, who kept with it,” Garcia said. “When you’re playing a high-major basketball team, you can’t take your foot off the gas and can’t take your attention away from the details.”
The Gophers (2–1) led 38–32 at halftime and 59–39 with 11:25 left, but the Tigers closed the game on a 31–9 run to win it.
Garcia split a pair of free throws with 1:25 left to give Minnesota a 68–67 lead. But Sean East II’s three-point play on a drive with 9.9 seconds left gave Missouri (3–1) its first lead.
A jumper from just inside the 3-point arc by Minnesota freshman Cam Christie bounced off the front of the rim as time expired.
“I’ve seen him hit that shot in practice all the time,” Garcia said of Christie. “He got a good look at it, and he’s going to bounce back, and he’s going to hit that shot 10 out of 10 times.”
Garcia is averaging 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds through three games for the Gophers, who host South Carolina-Upstate at 2 p.m. Saturday (Peacock).
McKoy only got off four shots in 27 minutes of Hawaii’s 92–73 victory over Niagara (0–3) but collected 12 points, two 3-pointers, a career-high 11 rebounds and two assists to notch his first college double-double.
His previous-best rebounding game total was six, which he pulled down seven times, including last season for UNC in the Tar Heels’ 65–58 loss at Virginia on Jan. 10.
Through two games, McKoy is shooting 60% from the floor (9 of 15) and 62.5% from 3-point range (5 of 8).
Hawaii (2–0), which shot 60% from the floor, is at home against Northern Arizona on Tuesday night.
In Texas Tech’s 73–64 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Kerwin Walton played three minutes and missed two 3-point attempts to go scoreless after not getting into Sunday’s 56–42 victory over San Jose State. He has three points in 11 minutes over two games.
The Red Raiders (3–0) would face UNC on Thanksgiving Day if they and the Tar Heels both either win or lose in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Wednesday. Texas Tech plays No. 21 Villanova at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) after No. 20 Carolina meets Northern Iowa at noon (ESPN).
Will Shaver didn’t play in UAB’s 80–77 Thursday home victory over Alcorn State. He’s only gotten into one game for the Blazers (2–2), playing 14 scoreless minutes in the 77–76 loss to Clemson.
On Friday night, D’Marco Dunn, Puff Johnson and Penn State (3–0) face Morehead State (Peacock) at 7 p.m. in a home game, and Caleb Love’s No. 3 Arizona team (3–0) hosts Belmont at 11 p.m. (Pac-12 Network).
Checking in on 11 former Heels
Destiny Adams, Rutgers forward
6–3 | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
82–63 Wednesday loss at Seton Hall — Started; 27 minutes, 27 points (career-high), 11–15 FG (FG total career-high, FGA total tied career-high), 8 rebounds, 4 fouls, 7 turnovers (career-high), 1 steal, -14, 16.5 game score
Season statistics — 4 games, 4 starts, 15.3 points, 49.0 FG%, 0–2 3FG, 72.2 FT%, 11.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.5 blocks
Next game — noon Saturday vs. Saint Francis
D’Marco Dunn, Penn State guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
83–53 Tuesday win vs. St. Francis (Pa.) — Didn’t start; 17 minutes, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, +4, 3.0 game score
Season statistics — 3 games, 1 start; 6.2 points, 44.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2.0 rebound, 1.0 assist
Next game — 7 p.m. Friday vs. Morehead State, Peacock
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota forward
6–11, 230 pounds | Junior | UNC 2020–21 (part of 1 season)
70–68 Thursday loss vs. Missouri — Started; 37 minutes, 16 points, 4–12 FG, 1–2 3FG, 7–8 FT, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 1 block, 1 steal, -8 2 blocks, 1 steal, -8, 15.9 game score
Season statistics — 3 games, 3 starts; 20.3 points, 41.7 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 90.3 FT%, 9.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.7 of a steal
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday vs. South Carolina-Upstate, Peacock
Puff Johnson, Penn State wing
6–8, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
83–53 Tuesday win vs. St. Francis (Pa.) — (season debut) didn’t start; 16 minutes, 6 points, 2–4 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 foul, +19, 5.2 game score
Next game — 7 p.m. Friday vs. Morehead State, Peacock
Caleb Love, Arizona guard
6–4, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
97–59 Monday win vs. Southern — Started; 26 minutes, 9 points, 2–6 FG, 1–5 3FG, 4–5 FT, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +39, 11.5 game score
Season statistics — 3 games; 3 starts; 10.7 points, 33.3 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 92.3 FT%, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.7 of a block, 1.3 steals
Next game — 11 p.m. Friday vs. Belmont, Pac-12 Network
Justin McKoy, Hawaii guard
6–8, 230 pounds | Graduate student | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
92–73 Thursday win vs. Niagara — Started; 27 minutes, 12 points, 3–4 FG, 2–2 3FG, 4–4 FT, 11 rebounds (career-high), 2 assists, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers, +15, 12.3 game score
Season statistics — 2 games, 2 starts, 13.5 points, 60.0 FG%, 62.5 3P% (5 of 8), 100 FT% (2 of 2), 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 block
Next game — 1:30 a.m. ET Tuesday vs. Northern Arizona
Tyler Nickel, Virginia Tech guard
6–7, 225 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
60–44 Wednesday win vs. Campbell — Didn’t play because of an illness
Season statistics — 2 games, 7.0 points, 33.3 FG%, 22.2 3P%, 100 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist
Next game — 5 p.m. Sunday vs. Wofford, ESPN3
Will Shaver, UAB center
6–10, 270 pounds | Redshirt sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
80–77 Thursday win vs. Alcorn State — Didn’t play
Season statistics — 1 game, 0 points, 0–2 FG, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers
Next game — 7:30 Tuesday at Middle Tennessee, ESPN+
Dontrez Styles, Georgetown wing
6–6, 212 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
71–57 Wednesday loss at Rutgers — Started; 33 minutes, 15 points, 4–7 FG, 3–5 3FG, 7 rebounds, 4 fouls, 3 turnovers, -10, 9.2 game score
Season statistics — 3 games, 3 starts, 12.3 points, 44.8 FG%, 54.5 3P%, 57.1 FT%, 6.3 rebounds
Next game — noon Saturday vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Kennedy Todd-Williams, Ole Miss guard
6–0 | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
80–63 Wednesday win vs. Temple — Started; 22 minutes, 3 points, 1–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal, +11, 1.9 game score
Season statistics — 3 games, 3 starts; 8.3 points, 32.1 FG%, 28.5 3P%, 60.0 FT%, 5.0 rebounds, 0.6 of an assist, 0.6 of a steal, 1.0 block
Next game — noon Saturday vs. Howard in Battle 4 Atlantis (link to bracket) in the Bahamas, Flo Hoops
Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech guard
6–5, 200 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–22 (2 seasons)
73–64 Thursday win vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi — 3 minutes, 0 points, 0–2 FG, 0–2 3FG, -1, -1.4 game score
Season statistics — 2 game, 3 points, 1–5 FG, 1–3 3FG, 1 rebound
Next game — 2:30 Wednesday vs. No. 21 Villanova in Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, ESPN
Photo via @HawaiiMBB
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