Ben Johnson implores Gophers fans to keep showing up at Williams Arena

Ben Johnson and the Gophers have won three consecutive games after an 0-6 start to Big Ten play, at least partially resurrecting their season in the process. Saturday's 77-69 win over No. 15 Oregon came in front of a raucous home crowd at Williams Arena.

As Minnesota (11-9, 3-6 Big Ten) looks to keep this momentum going and finish strong over the final 11 games of the regular season, Johnson hopes to see more atmospheres like that one. He spent part of his postgame press conference imploring fans to keep showing up for this team.

"That was everything," he said of the crowd. "It was everything. The student section was unbelievable, packed, and they get the crowd going. I thought the crowd, from the start, was amazing. We don't go on the run to begin the game without the energy of the crowd and the energy they brought in the second half. I just can't say enough. You have to have that.

"And I know we have a great fan base, and now the challenge is, we just (need) more. Keep coming out. Keep showing up. We've proven we can be competitive with teams in this league, but we need (the fans) to keep it going. We can't do it on our own. We can't do it without their energy. The other team has to feel them, because we feel that on the road. Everywhere we go, it's like 'oh my god.' You feel that. And I want that to be here, because it's the difference in probably five points, to be honest with you."

Perhaps fueled by the environment, the Gophers opened Saturday's game on a 26-8 run in a little over seven minutes of game time. Oregon responded and took a two-point lead early in the second half, but the Gophers kept battling and eventually pulled away down the stretch, led by a massive afternoon from star forward Dawson Garcia (31 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks).

Watch: Gophers' Ben Johnson gets doused in locker room after upset over No. 15 Oregon

This recent spurt is almost certainly too little, too late for Minnesota when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Dropping three games in non-conference play and digging an 0-6 hole in the Big Ten will be nearly impossible to recover from, barring something like a 9-2 finish to this season. But this team is fighting and finally getting results. There's still a lot to play for down the stretch, as the Gophers look to play spoiler against other teams and earn a spot in the 15-team Big Ten Tournament, as well as potentially the NIT or another postseason tournament.

"They're starting to act like winners," Johnson said of his players. "And I've been putting that on the board, is I want them to walk, talk, think, breathe, carry themselves like winners. Do what winners do in every single thing that you do. And they're starting to carry themselves with that."

Johnson and his team will take their three-game winning streak on the road to play Tom Izzo and Michigan State on Tuesday. The Spartans are undefeated in the conference, have won 12 total games in a row, and will be ranked even higher than No. 8 when the new AP poll comes out on Monday.

The next opportunity for fans to pack the Barn will be next Saturday at 11 a.m. central time against a Washington team that's in last place in the Big Ten standings. That's the first of five remaining home games at Williams Arena, including marquee matchups against Illinois and Wisconsin.

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