By R.L. Bynum
Dawson Garcia had the best game of his career Sunday and led a second-half rally at Ohio State in Minnesota’s Big Ten opener, but the Gophers lost 84–74.
Garcia scored 28 of his career-high 36 points in the second half, adding 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, as the Gophers (5–3, 0–1 Big Ten) cut a 22-point deficit to six.
It was the highest-scoring game by a Big Ten player this season, topping the 35 points by Michigan State’s Tyson Walker against James Madison and Purdue’s Zach Edey at Northwestern.
Garcia, who produced a 26.9 game score, scored 10 consecutive second-half Gophers points in one stretch. He scored a career-high 12 field goals to top his previous high of 10 for Carolina against Purdue on Nov. 20, 2021, in a 93–84 loss in Uncasville, Conn. He took a career-high 25 shots and made 12 of 14 free-throw attempts.
Garcia’s previous best scoring game was 28 points for Marquette on Feb. 10, 2021, at Villanova and for Minnesota at Ohio State on Jan. 12, 2023. His best game as a Tar Heel was 22 against Elon on Dec. 11, 2021.
Justin McKoy had 11 points, four assists and a steal in Hawaii’s 95–76 home win Sunday night over Central Arkansas, moving to 6–1, in the first of seven consecutive home games.
Tyler Nickel had a quiet ACC opener as host Virginia Tech (6–3, 1–0 ACC) beat Louisville 75–68. The sophomore guard was 1 of 6 from the floor, all 3-point attempts, finishing with three points, two rebounds, a block and a steal in 25 minutes.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 24 games, 24 starts, 9.9 points, 43.1 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 69.0 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 turnovers
Team record: 23–1, 13–1 Big Ten; Rank: No. 3
Wednesday: 87–75 win at Northwestern — Started; 22:14, 9 points, 3–9 FG, 3–6 3FG, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 7 assists, 5 turnovers, team-low -17
Next game — 12:45 Saturday vs. UCLA, CBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 23 games, 23 starts, 9.1 points, 39.4 FG%, 38.2 3P%, 87.5 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Team record: 16–8, 3–7 SEC
Thursday: 88–45 loss at No. 3 South Carolina — Started; 19:58, 3 points, 1–7 FG, 0–4 3FG, 1–1 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 1 turnovers, -28
Next game — 7:30 Thursday vs. Georgia
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 24 games, 2.0 points, 42.9 FG%, 3–8 3FG, 75.9 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 8 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 16–8, 8–4 American
Wednesday: 72–60 loss at South Florida — 15 minutes, 1 rebound, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Florida Atlantic, ESPN+
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 24 games, 17 starts, 10.5 points, 43.0 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 89.8 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 19–5, 12–1 Big East; Rank: No. 17
Monday: 87–82 OT win vs. Xavier — Started; 11 minutes, 3 points, 1–3 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday at Providence, TNT, truTV
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 16–8, 8–6 Big Ten
Season statistics — 4 games, 3.8 points, 57.1 FG%, 3–4 3FG, 4–5 FT, 1.3 rebounds
Wednesday: 89–82 win vs. USC — 15 minutes, 8 points, 2–2 FG, 2–2 3FG, 2–2 FT, 4 fouls, 1 steal
Next game — 8 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 15 Virginia in Nashville, Tenn., Fox
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 17 games, 17starts, 12.0 points, 54.4 FG%, 1–12 3FG, 64.1 FT%, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 18–7, 5–6 SEC; Rank: No. 18
Monday: 64–53 loss vs. No. 4 Texas — Started; 30:10, 8 points, 3–9 FG, 2–5 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 6 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, team-low -16
Next game — 6:30 Thursday vs. Texas A&M, SEC Network
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 25 games, 25 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 68.0 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 70.8 FT%, 7.0 rebounds
Team record: 18–7, 9–3 ACC
Monday: 118–77 loss at No. 24 Louisville — Started; 25:42, 20 points, 7–10 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–7 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 block, -18
Next game — 4 p.m. Saturday vs. Miami, ESPN2
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 24 games, 24 starts, 14.4 points, 49.0 FG%, 44.1 3P%, 82.9 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 20–4, 7–4 SEC: Rank: No. 19
Tuesday: 84–76 win at Auburn — Started, 32:37, 10 points, 3–12 FG, 2–6 3FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 1 assist, +5
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. Texas A&M, SEC Network
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 8–16, 1–11 ACC
Suffered season-ending injury.
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 23 games, 2.9 points, 50.0 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 61.9 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 18 assists, 12 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 13–12, 6–6 Southern Conference
Thursday: 78–64 win vs. The Citadel — 10 minutes, 4 points, 1–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover
Saturday: 69–49 win vs. Mercer — 14 minutes, 1 point, 0–2 FG, 1–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 blocks
Next game — 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Wofford, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 23 games, 23 starts, team-leading 19.4 points, 49.1 FG%, 38.5 3P%, 81.6 FT%, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Team record: 11–13, 4–9 Big Ten
Wednesday: 76–73 win vs. No. 7 Michigan State — 38 minutes, 17 points, 4–12 FG, 3–7 3FG, 6–7 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Sunday: 67–62 loss vs. Maryland —37 minutes, 12 points, 3–7 FG, 2–6 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 block, 1 steal
Next game — 9 p.m. Saturday at Washington, NBCSN, Peacock
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 24 games, 5 starts, 9.3 points, 60.2 FG%, 30.8 3P%, 74.2 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 20–4, 7–4 SEC: Rank: No. 19
Tuesday: 84–76 win at Auburn — Started, 27:53, career-high 22 points, 7–8 FG, 2–2 3FG, 6–6 FT, 5 rebounds, 5 fouls, 3 turnovers, 1 block, team-high +16
Next game — 1 p.m. Saturday vs. Texas A&M, SEC Network
Photo via @GopherMBB
tarheeltribune.com 