'We need them with us': Gophers' Ben Johnson makes appeal to fans
After the Gophers men's basketball team gutted out a 76-65 victory over Nebraska Wednesday night, coach Ben Johnson tipped his cap to the crowd at The Barn, and also made an appeal to Gophers fans.
"We don't win this game without (the fans') energy," Johnson told reporters after the game. "They were phenomenal."
Johnson then made a plea to the fans: make The Barn one of the most difficult places to play.
"Get the message out to the fans and the students that this is a partnership, it's their team too," Johnson said. "We have a chance to move the needle, but we need them with us."
The Gophers have been averaging a meager 7,102 fans per game at The Barn, with 6,899 in attendance for Wednesday's game against Nebraska. Williams Arena's capacity is 14,625.
Despite losing leading scorer Dawson Garcia to an ankle injury during the game, the Gophers battled back from a 15-point halftime deficit to earn their first Big Ten victory of the season.
Minnesota saw five players finish in double figures, as the Gophers used an all-around effort to fill in for Garcia and battle back for the win. While Johnson describes the team as a "work in progress," Wednesday night's victory was a big step in the right direction for Minnesota.
"I'm excited about this group. We're far from a finished product, we have so much growth to do, we have to get so much better it's scary, but I'm happy about (the Nebraska win) because this is something these guys can fall back on," Johnson said.
Courtesy of University of Minnesota
The Gophers will get the chance to take another step forward at 11 a.m. on Saturday in a nonconference matchup against Florida Gulf Coast at Williams Arena.
One thing is certain: Johnson would love to see Gophers fans out in full force for Saturday's game, and for the rest of the season.
"If we can get just an ounce of (Wednesday night's atmosphere) and keep building with that energy and that crowd and make this a true home-court advantage, nobody's gonna want to play here," Johnson said.
