The Gophers dodged a bullet on Saturday. They have not lost to a non-league opponent outside of a major conference since losing to Milwaukee on Dec. 23, 2015. They also lost to South Dakota and South Dakota State that same season.

With Garcia in foul trouble, many players had to step up to fill the scoring void, but Garcia still scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half on Saturday. The 6-11 senior shot 9-of-16 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.

Another standout performance came from Edmonds, who scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting off the bench. The 6-10, 250-pound San Antonio, Texas native gave the Gophers an inside presence when Garcia was on the bench.

The Gophers played their second game without Frank Mitchell, a 6-8, 260-pound junior who started the first two exhibition games at center. Mitchell is expected to return for contact on Monday and could make his debut soon. Senior guards Tyler Cochran (foot) and Caleb Williams (ill) also missed Saturday’s game.

The Gophers continue their six-game homestand to open the season by hosting North Texas on Wednesday and Yale at the Barn on Saturday.