“Dawson obviously had 31, but what he does defensively I don’t think there’s a 6-11 guy in our league who can guard Shelstad like that for 40 minutes,” Johnson said. “We treat him like a big wing with his defensive assignments and he just responds every single game.”

Garcia had three blocks Saturday, including a rejection on Bittle’s shot midway through the second half when the Ducks went without a field goal for five minutes.

Parker Fox, who has been Garcia’s teammate for three years, got choked up after Saturday’s win about how much his fellow frontcourt senior means to the program.

“You go back and watch just little possessions, the dude makes every single play,” said Fox, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds. “It’s not just in games. It’s every single day in practice. His energy is never off. His vibe is never off. He’s never negative … He’s thinking about his teammates. It’s a huge testament to who he is not only as a basketball player but as a man of faith. I’m proud to call him my brother.”

Garcia, who shot 13-for-19 from the field Saturday, has 13 games with 20 points or more this season, which leads all Big Ten players. He’s the first Division I player since Trae Young in 2018 to have at least 27 points in back-to-back wins against ranked opponents at home, according to OptaSTATS.

“He’s almost got like a possessed mentality right now,” Johnson said.