Gophers defeat UMKC to win Ben Johnson's coaching debut

After player introductions Tuesday night, Gophers fans welcomed one of their own when Ben Johnson's name was announced before his first official game as Minnesota's 18th men's basketball coach.

Standing on the court with clipboard in hand, Johnson didn't look at the crowd or even wave to family and friends in attendance to soak up the moment. He gathered his team immediately.

Instead of being caught up with emotion about leading his alma mater, the 40-year-old Minneapolis native didn't act like this game was about him.

Gophers players took the same businesslike approach to Tuesday night's season opener in a 71-56 victory over Missouri Kansas City in front of 8,975 at Williams Arena, but they waited until the game was over to celebrate. Johnson was mobbed on the court by his players, who also drenched him before his postgame speech by emptying their water bottles as he walked into the locker room.

"I wasn't even close to thinking about it," Johnson said. "You just get blasted by the cold water. I'll take it because it means we won. I'm just glad those guys were excited because that's a big deal to me."

Picking up where he left off as the leading scorer in an exhibition win against Concordia-St. Paul, Jamison Battle led the Gophers with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Payton Willis added 13 points and six assists for Minnesota.

BOXSCORE: Gophers 71, Missouri Kansas City 56

Sure, Minnesota's players wanted to win for their head coach. They also wanted to prove they're better than the team projected to finish last in the Big Ten. But Tuesday wasn't just about Johnson or making a statement to doubters. They were eager to play with one another — and it showed.

UMKC cut a 12-point deficit to 54-52 on a dunk from Brooklyn Park native Jacob Johnson with 7:43 to play, but the Gophers didn't panic.

Eric Curry connected with Luke Loewe cutting to the basket to stop UMKC from tying the score. Three-pointers from Loewe and E.J. Stephens highlighted a 17-4 run that put the game away, including 12 straight points.

Minnesota finished the game with 17 assists on 24 field goals. All seven players who logged double-digit minutes scored at least one basket.

"Everybody just stuck together," said Stephens, who had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. "That was the main message in the huddle. Coaches said just stay locked in and stay together."

The Gophers, who open the Asheville Championship on Friday vs. a tall Western Kentucky squad in North Carolina, struggled to contain Roos big man Josiah Allick, who scored a game-high 21 points. But the rest of UMKC's team was held to 14-for-41 shooting.

Newcomers such as Battle said he fed off the energy of the home crowd in his debut, especially the packed student section. Empty seats during the pandemic last season were filled with cheering fans Tuesday, providing a much-needed boost.

"That was probably one of the biggest student sections I've played in front of," Battle said. "It was cool to see the energy they brought."

Johnson didn't really hear the applause for him before the game, but he sure felt the overwhelming support in the end after his first win.

"You probably got to get out of the moment to think about it," he said. "The guys, the administration that believe in me, I never take that for granted."