Minnesota defeated Western Michigan 61-60 to win their season opener at Williams Arena. Dawson Garcia led all scorers with 23 points.
Look, it’s a non-conference game against an opponent that is substantially below Big Ten quality. There are only two goals in these types of games: win and have no one get injured. Minnesota accomplished both goals and can move on in the season. The first half was a somewhat tepid affair as the Gophers looked to find their feet, though Minnesota ended the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 35-26 lead into the locker room.