“The work that I’ve put in, just falling back on that,” Garcia said. “It’s just second nature. I just felt like I was out there playing my game, playing loose and having fun.”

Life without Garcia wasn’t something Johnson wanted to think about yet when Garcia was considering his options in the offseason, including turning pro. Seven Gophers players transferred from last season, but Garcia, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Parker Fox were seniors committed to sticking around.

Oral Roberts cut a 21-point deficit in half when Garcia was on the bench before halftime. Fox eventually picked up the scoring slack, getting eight of his 13 points in the first half.

Early in the second half, the Golden Eagles trimmed the margin to 38-29, but Fox answered again with five points during a 7-0 run. After flying in for a layup, the 6-8 Mahtomedi native picked up a technical foul for flexing toward an opposing player. That became the last time the U’s momentum was stopped.

Garcia had eight points during a 15-3 run in the second half that put the game out of reach, including the former Prior Lake star’s fourth three-pointer for his 28th point. He shot 4-for-5 on three-pointers.

As easy as the Gophers made it seem when playing offense through Garcia, finding the best players to surround him will be a work in progress. The starting lineup also included Mitchell, Fox, Brennan Rigsby and Lu’Cye Patterson, who finished with 10 points.