Gophers coach Ben Johnson would find out a great deal about his basketball team playing its first game without leading scorer Dawson Garcia this season.

One of the Big Ten’s top players, Garcia missed Saturday with a left ankle injury that the Gophers hope won’t keep him sidelined for long. They’re a much different team without him.

After trailing by nine points against Florida Gulf Coast in the first half, the Gophers finally got shots to fall to wake them up from a sluggish start in a 77-57 win at Williams Arena.

The Gophers (7-3) experienced life without Garcia for most of the second half of Wednesday’s 76-65 comeback win vs. Nebraska. They brought the energy again in the second half Saturday afternoon with a 32-7 run.

Garcia, who averages 18.2 points this season, watched in street clothes from the bench as his teammates trailing 14-5 after opening the game shooting 2-for-14 from the field.

Florida Gulf Coast (3-8) gave Indiana a scare in a 69-63 loss in Bloomington last month, but the Eagles were outscored 32-19 after taking control early Saturday. The Gophers led 37-33 at halftime. Joshua Ola-Joseph had 11 of his career-high tying 17 points in the first half.

On Wednesday, the Gophers trailed by 15 points at halftime before outscoring the Cornhuskers 52-26 in the second half for their first Big Ten win. Five players ended up in double figures that night — and five scored at least eight points Saturday.

In the second half, Florida Gulf Coast cut its deficit to 43-41 after a three-point play by Keeshawn Kellman, but the Gophers responded with a 16-1 run capped by Mike Mitchell Jr.’s three-pointer for a 57-42 lead. Mitchell Jr., who finished with 14 points, scored eight points during Minnesota’s rally.

Isaiah Ihnen broke out of a slump with 13 points on 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range. Cam Christie also had 11 points and Elijah Hawkins had 11 assists for the Gophers, who shot 10-for-28 from three.

The Gophers were playing with their smallest lineup all season for most of the day. Garcia and reserve center Jack Wilson, both 6-11, were out for the game. Pharrel Payne, who started at center, was limited to four points in 17 minutes to rest his lingering foot injury. Starting guard Braeden Carrington (foot) was questionable, but he played 21 minutes.

Lacking depth didn’t seem to hamper Johnson’s squad. The Gophers picked up the intensity defensively by holding the Eagles to 31% shooting from the field in the second half. They also scored 26 points off 14 turnovers in the game.

A quick turnaround for the Gophers comes with Tuesday’s game against IUPUI at home. They aren’t expected to get Garcia back, but there will be a nine-day stretch before the next game.