University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, November 27
Palm Desert, CA
8:30 PM
University of Minnesota
4-3,0-0Big Ten
68
vs
72
Stanford
5-1,0-0ACC
1
2
F
Stanford
31
41
72
Minnesota
34
34
68
Team Stats
Stan
MINN
FG%
.373
.511
3FG%
.258
.450
FT%
.778
.722
RB
36
25
TO
8
14
STL
10
1
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
6
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballGuard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Crocker-Johnson Nets Career Game in Loss To Stanford
11/27/2025 11:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored a career-high 23 points and Cade Tyson had 19, but Minnesota (4-3) dropped a 72-68 decision to Stanford (5-1) in the opening round of the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Desert, Calif.
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The Gophers led by 10 points with 4:43 left in the half, but the Cardinal went on a 12-5 run to narrow Minnesota's halftime lead to three points, and then opened the second half with a 13-4 run. A 10-2 Minnesota run gave it a 58-57 lead with 7:02 left, but Stanford regained a six-point lead and held on down the stretch. Minnesota got within one point with 10.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Isaac Asuma.
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Crocker-Johnson made 7-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-5 three-pointers, and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line. His previous best had been 21 points versus UC Riverside while playing for Colorado State last season. Crocker-Johnson also tied his career-high with four blocked shots and added four rebounds. Tyson was 6-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 at the line. Bobby Durkin made a season-high three three-pointers to finish with nine points and five rebounds, Asuma had six points and four assists, Langston Reynolds had six points, a team-high six rebounds, and Grayson Grove had a career-best five points in his first collegiate start.
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As a team, the Gophers made 23-of-45 (.511) field goals, their first game above 50 percent since the season-opener. Minnesota was 9-of-20 (.450) from long-range and 13-of-18 (.722) at the line, but the Gophers were outrebounded 36-25, and their 14 turnovers led to a 27-10 edge for Stanford in points off turnovers. Ebuka Okorie led the Cardinal with a game-high 25 points. Stanford made just 25-of-67 (.373) field goals, including 8-of-31 (.258) three-pointers, but was 14-of-18 (.778) at the foul line.
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Minnesota led 4-3 on a put-back layup by Grove and a short jumper by Crocker-Johnson, but the Cardinal used a 5-0 run to pull ahead by four. Asuma made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 8-7, but Stanford used another 5-0 run to take a 13-7 lead with 13:18 left before half. Crocker-Johnson added his second bucket of the half to pull Minnesota within 13-9, and Reynolds added back-to-back layups to make it a 6-0 Gophers run and tie the score with 10:38 left. After Stanford retook a one-point lead, Tyson's three-point play, Durkin's transition three-pointer, and another layup by Tyson made it a 14-1 run and a 21-14 lead with 7:39 remaining. At that point, Minnesota had forced three shot-clock violations and was holding the Cardinal to 5-of-23 (.217) shooting, including 2-of-12 (.167) from three-point range.
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The run reached 17-1, as Tyson drained a deep three following the media timeout to give Minnesota a 10-point lead. Stanford countered with a 5-0 run, ending a six-minute, 50-second field goal drought, but Crocker-Johnson hit a corner three and Tyson scored on a layup for a 29-19 lead. Once again, the Cardinal answered with a 5-0 run to pull within five, but Crocker-Jhonson banked in a three-pointer to make it 32-24 at the final media timeout. Another Tyson layup made it 34-25, but a 6-0 Stanford run trimmed Minnesota's halftime lead to 34-31.
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Tyson led the Gophers with 12 first-half points, while Crocker-Johnson had 10 points. Those two combined to make 9-of-14 field goals. As a team, the Gophers were 14-of-24 (.583) from the field, including 5-of-11 (.455) from beyond the arc, and 1-of-2 at the line. Stanford held a 19-11 edge in rebounding, but the Gophers had an 18-10 advantage in points in the paint. Okorie paced the Cardinal with 12 points at the break. Stanford made 11-of-35 (.314) field goals, including just 4-of-18 (.222) three-pointers, but was 5-of-7 (.714) at the charity stripe.
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An 8-2 Stanford run to open the second half put the Cardinal up 39-36. Grove scored on a layup to pull the Gophers within one, but the extended run for Stanford reached 13-4 by the 16:07 mark, as the Gophers trailed 44-38. A pair of Tyson free throws cut the deficit to four points, and a three-point play from Crocker-Johnson cut it to 46-43 with 13:47 left. Stanford followed with a 4-0 run to take its largest lead of the night at 50-43, but Crocker-Johnson drove for a layup to pull Minnesota within five points at the second media timeout.
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Needing a spark, Durkin connected on his second trey of the game to cut it to 50-48, but Okorie answered with his second three to put the Cardinal back in front by five and they. Crocker-Johnson knocked down his third three-pointer to trim it to 55-51, and a Tyson layup kept the Gophers within 57-53. Crocker-Johnson went 2-of-3 at the free throw line to reach a season-high 20 points and cut the lead to two points, and Grove cut it to one with a free throw with 7:28 left. Crocker-Johnson continued his big night, as he was fouled on a rebound and made a pair of free throws to put the Gophers up 58-57 with 7:02 remaining, but Stanford reclaimed a 66-60 lead with a 9-2 run.
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Durkin hit a huge corner three from in front of the Gophers' bench with 3:36 left, his third triple of the night, to cut it to 66-63 at the final media timeout. The Cardinal extended the lead to five points with a pair of free throws with 1:23 remaining, but Tyson went 1-of-2 at the line with 21.7 seconds left, and Asuma connected on a three-pointer with :10.5 left to cut it to 68-67. Stanford made it 70-67 by making a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds left, and the Gophers advanced the ball past midcourt and called a timeout with 4.0 seconds left. Crocker-Johnson was fouled on the inbounds play before the ball was inbounded, and he made the first free throw before missing the second, which Okorie rebounded before being fouled. He made both free throws to secure the four-point win.
Minnesota will now face Santa Clara at 8:30 p.m. CST of the Acrisure Invitational on Friday. The game will be televised on truTV.
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The Gophers led by 10 points with 4:43 left in the half, but the Cardinal went on a 12-5 run to narrow Minnesota's halftime lead to three points, and then opened the second half with a 13-4 run. A 10-2 Minnesota run gave it a 58-57 lead with 7:02 left, but Stanford regained a six-point lead and held on down the stretch. Minnesota got within one point with 10.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Isaac Asuma.
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Crocker-Johnson made 7-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-5 three-pointers, and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line. His previous best had been 21 points versus UC Riverside while playing for Colorado State last season. Crocker-Johnson also tied his career-high with four blocked shots and added four rebounds. Tyson was 6-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 at the line. Bobby Durkin made a season-high three three-pointers to finish with nine points and five rebounds, Asuma had six points and four assists, Langston Reynolds had six points, a team-high six rebounds, and Grayson Grove had a career-best five points in his first collegiate start.
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As a team, the Gophers made 23-of-45 (.511) field goals, their first game above 50 percent since the season-opener. Minnesota was 9-of-20 (.450) from long-range and 13-of-18 (.722) at the line, but the Gophers were outrebounded 36-25, and their 14 turnovers led to a 27-10 edge for Stanford in points off turnovers. Ebuka Okorie led the Cardinal with a game-high 25 points. Stanford made just 25-of-67 (.373) field goals, including 8-of-31 (.258) three-pointers, but was 14-of-18 (.778) at the foul line.
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Minnesota led 4-3 on a put-back layup by Grove and a short jumper by Crocker-Johnson, but the Cardinal used a 5-0 run to pull ahead by four. Asuma made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 8-7, but Stanford used another 5-0 run to take a 13-7 lead with 13:18 left before half. Crocker-Johnson added his second bucket of the half to pull Minnesota within 13-9, and Reynolds added back-to-back layups to make it a 6-0 Gophers run and tie the score with 10:38 left. After Stanford retook a one-point lead, Tyson's three-point play, Durkin's transition three-pointer, and another layup by Tyson made it a 14-1 run and a 21-14 lead with 7:39 remaining. At that point, Minnesota had forced three shot-clock violations and was holding the Cardinal to 5-of-23 (.217) shooting, including 2-of-12 (.167) from three-point range.
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The run reached 17-1, as Tyson drained a deep three following the media timeout to give Minnesota a 10-point lead. Stanford countered with a 5-0 run, ending a six-minute, 50-second field goal drought, but Crocker-Johnson hit a corner three and Tyson scored on a layup for a 29-19 lead. Once again, the Cardinal answered with a 5-0 run to pull within five, but Crocker-Jhonson banked in a three-pointer to make it 32-24 at the final media timeout. Another Tyson layup made it 34-25, but a 6-0 Stanford run trimmed Minnesota's halftime lead to 34-31.
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Tyson led the Gophers with 12 first-half points, while Crocker-Johnson had 10 points. Those two combined to make 9-of-14 field goals. As a team, the Gophers were 14-of-24 (.583) from the field, including 5-of-11 (.455) from beyond the arc, and 1-of-2 at the line. Stanford held a 19-11 edge in rebounding, but the Gophers had an 18-10 advantage in points in the paint. Okorie paced the Cardinal with 12 points at the break. Stanford made 11-of-35 (.314) field goals, including just 4-of-18 (.222) three-pointers, but was 5-of-7 (.714) at the charity stripe.
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An 8-2 Stanford run to open the second half put the Cardinal up 39-36. Grove scored on a layup to pull the Gophers within one, but the extended run for Stanford reached 13-4 by the 16:07 mark, as the Gophers trailed 44-38. A pair of Tyson free throws cut the deficit to four points, and a three-point play from Crocker-Johnson cut it to 46-43 with 13:47 left. Stanford followed with a 4-0 run to take its largest lead of the night at 50-43, but Crocker-Johnson drove for a layup to pull Minnesota within five points at the second media timeout.
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Needing a spark, Durkin connected on his second trey of the game to cut it to 50-48, but Okorie answered with his second three to put the Cardinal back in front by five and they. Crocker-Johnson knocked down his third three-pointer to trim it to 55-51, and a Tyson layup kept the Gophers within 57-53. Crocker-Johnson went 2-of-3 at the free throw line to reach a season-high 20 points and cut the lead to two points, and Grove cut it to one with a free throw with 7:28 left. Crocker-Johnson continued his big night, as he was fouled on a rebound and made a pair of free throws to put the Gophers up 58-57 with 7:02 remaining, but Stanford reclaimed a 66-60 lead with a 9-2 run.
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Durkin hit a huge corner three from in front of the Gophers' bench with 3:36 left, his third triple of the night, to cut it to 66-63 at the final media timeout. The Cardinal extended the lead to five points with a pair of free throws with 1:23 remaining, but Tyson went 1-of-2 at the line with 21.7 seconds left, and Asuma connected on a three-pointer with :10.5 left to cut it to 68-67. Stanford made it 70-67 by making a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds left, and the Gophers advanced the ball past midcourt and called a timeout with 4.0 seconds left. Crocker-Johnson was fouled on the inbounds play before the ball was inbounded, and he made the first free throw before missing the second, which Okorie rebounded before being fouled. He made both free throws to secure the four-point win.
Minnesota will now face Santa Clara at 8:30 p.m. CST of the Acrisure Invitational on Friday. The game will be televised on truTV.
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