Ben Johnson could have done an impression of late Vikings coach Dennis Green after Indiana State ended the Gophers men's basketball season Sunday in the NIT second round.

The Sycamores are who the Gophers thought they were. Very, very good.

They could score, pass and defend. They had depth. They looked like arguably the best team in the country not playing in the NCAA tournament in the Gophers' 76-64 loss Sunday in front of a sellout crowd at Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Gophers (19-15) had to play one of their best games of the season to compete with the highest ranked NET team (29th) ever to be left out of the NCAA tournament.

Pharrel Payne had a team-high 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting and eight rebounds, but the Gophers committed 15 turnovers and couldn't overcome point guard Elijah Hawkins' hip injury.

The wheels fell off early for Johnson's squad when leading scorer Dawson Garcia left the game with three fouls and three turnovers after picking up a technical jarring with his opponent at the nine-minute mark.

The All-Big Ten forward had 25 points in Tuesday's 73-72 comeback win at Butler, but Garcia was scoreless in the first half Sunday. He finished with 12 rebounds but just six points in 28 minutes.

The hero for the Gophers in the NIT first round was Hawkins with 15 assists and two game-winning free throws in the waning seconds. His day was over with 10 points and one assist Sunday in 21 minutes after playing only five minutes in the second half.

In the first half, Hawkins ran into an Indiana State player battling for a rebound. He left the game grimacing and followed the team trainer into the locker room.

The Sycamores (30-6), who won the Missouri Valley regular-season title, led by 18 points in the first half and 38-28 at halftime after limiting Minnesota to 39% shooting and forcing nine turnovers in the opening half. Ryan Conwell had 14 of his 23 points in the first half.

An 11-0 run for the Gophers in the second half without Hawkins made it 52-49 after a Cam Christie high-arching jumper with 11 minutes, 45 seconds to play. Garcia also scored his first points of the game during that rally but on free throws.

With Garcia limited in foul trouble, Payne was the U's go-to inside presence. He opened the second half with three dunks. A bright spot in the NIT, the 6-9 sophomore seemed motivated to bounce back after his seven-turnover game in a Big Ten tournament loss to Michigan State.

Indiana State's Robbie Avila, who was nicknamed "Cream Abdul-Jabbar," was his team's top scorer and rebounder this season, but he was held to 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting, but finished with seven assists.

One of the nation's most efficient offenses, the Sycamores were a challenge defensively with their constant ball movement and passing. They had 20 assists on 27 field goals Sunday, but they also scored 19 points off turnovers.

With four minutes left, the Gophers trailed 68-59 but threw the ball away after a timeout. That led to Garcia's fourth foul and another double-digit deficit. They trailed the entire game.

Johnson's players were excited to extend their season in the NIT, but they weren't all committed yet to return and create a Big Ten contender next year.

Hawkins, who finished with the school's single-season assist record, said after the Big Ten tournament he would be back. Payne joined him with that thought. Garcia and Christie, though, talked about waiting until after the season to decide on their futures.

Regardless of what the team looks like next season, the Gophers turned things around in Johnson's third year with a 10-win improvement. They ran into a daunting opponent on the road Sunday with goals and the talent to win an NIT championship.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.