Dawson Garcia finally gets his moment with game-winner: 'That dude deserves this'

Savage, Minn. native Dawson Garcia had quite the journey before joining the Gophers. Despite six-figure offers to hit the transfer portal, he opted to stick things out with Ben Johnson and Minnesota and he finally got his moment on Thursday night.

Garcia's 27 points, 12 rebounds, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks was one of his best performances of the season, but it was his logo 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to lift Minnesota over No. 20 Michigan that made his night special.

"I just thought his effort, what he's about, from the day he came here on campus, that dude deserves this," Johnson said after the game. "He deserves that shot, he deserves the opportunity to make that shot. He is everything that this program is about from here going forward. I love him. I am just excited that I get the chance to coach him. I am glad those guys in the locker room get to see his work ethic and who he is every day. There's no kid I have ever coached that probably deserves this moment and that shot against that team more than him."

WHAT A SHOT!#Gophers storm the court after Dawson Garcia stuns No. 20 Michigan. pic.twitter.com/CmT4rL2Ak7
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) January 17, 2025

Garcia has performed at an all-conference level for each of the last two seasons and he's well on his way to doing the same this year. He has not had the same postseason success as the all-time greats at Minnesota, but he's stuck with the program in the modern world of college athletics where it would've been easy for him to transfer to a program offering the most money and look to improve his draft stock.

"It's definitely up there," Garcia asked where the win ranks in his college career. "This is the first time beating a ranked opponent in the Barn in a couple of years. It was a big-time team accomplishment and the fact that we got two Minnesota guys right here and we got more on the team, but it's a great feeling. We're about to go out there and share that moment with our family and friends too. It means everything."

Minnesota's win over Michigan will count as a Quad 1 victory, but it might be too little, too late when it comes to building a postseason tournament resume.

Without a true Cinderella story, Garcia could go through his three-year Gophers career without playing in the NCAA Tournament. But he should be celebrated for his unselfishness and loyalty to Minnesota basketball.

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