The first five losses by the Gophers against Wisconsin in Johnson’s coaching tenure were by six points or fewer, including a 61-59 loss last season at Williams Arena.

The Badgers, who haven’t lost to Minnesota since 2020, led 30-29 to start the second half, but they used a 40-12 run to blow the game wide open. They led by as much as 30 points in the second half.

The Gophers jumped to a 15-5 lead Friday behind Dawson Garcia’s hot start. Garcia scored more points in the first five minutes (seven) than he did before fouling out in Monday’s 89-88 double-overtime loss against Ohio State (five). Garcia scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half Friday.

The Badgers used a 15-2 run to take their first lead on John Tonje’s three-pointer with just under eight minutes left in the first half.

Femi Odukale scored five straight points, including his second three-pointer, for a 25-22 Gophers advantage, but the Gophers couldn’t sustain their lead because of difficulty taking care of the ball.

Entering Friday, the Gophers were averaging 9.9 turnovers per game; they committed eight turnovers in the first half Friday and 15 in the game.