University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 9
7:30 PM
University of Minnesota
10-6,3-2Big Ten
69
vs
70
Southern California
13-3,2-3Big Ten
1
2
OT 1
F
Southern California
35
28
7
70
Minnesota
30
33
6
69
Team Stats
USC
MINN
FG%
.439
.387
3FG%
.286
.343
FT%
.824
.600
RB
42
33
TO
16
11
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
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/ Men's BasketballGuard
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/ Men's Basketball
Gophers Rally But Drop Overtime Heartbreaker to USC
1/9/2026 10:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cade Tyson had team-high totals of 20 points and eight rebounds, and three other Gophers reached double-figures, as Minnesota (10-6, 3-2 Big Ten) rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but Chad Baker-Mazara scored 29 points including the game-winning free throws with 10.9 seconds left to help USC (13-3, 2-3 B1G) escape with a 70-69 win at Williams Arena.
The loss for Minnesota was its first at The Barn this season (9-1) and snapped a five-game winning streak. The Gophers trailed 53-40 with 9:48 remaining, but mounted a furious comeback to take a 63-62 lead with 0:45 left on a pair of free throws by Tyson. The Trojans managed to send the game to OT and Baker-Mazara's free throws wound up being the game-winners after Jaylen Crocker-Johnson's three-pointer had put Minnesota up one with 0:27.5 remaining.
Tyson's 20-point game was his ninth this season (two games with 30-plus). He finished 5-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and 7-of-10 at the free throw line. In addition to his 20 points and eight boards, Tyson added four assists, one block, and a steal in the full 45 minutes. Bobby Durkin added 13 points, going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals. Langston Reynolds finished with 12 points and six rebounds, Crocker-Johnson had 10 points, Isaac Asuma had eight points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals, and Grayson Grove pitched in with six points and three boards.
As a team, Minnesota finished the night at 24-of-62 (.387) from the field, including 12-of-35 (.343) threes, and 9-of-15 free throws. The Gophers were outrebounded 42-33 and USC had a 34-22 edge on points in the paint. The Trojans made 25-of-57 (.439) field goals, including 6-of-21 (.286) from long-range, and 14-of-17 (.824) foul shots. Baker-Mazara added eight assists to his game-high 29 points, while Ezra Ausar added 14 points and a game-best nine rebounds. Gabe Dynes had nine points and six boards, and Jacob Cofie had nine points for the Trojans.
USC jumped out to an 8-5 lead, but Tyson tied it with a three-pointer and Crocker-Johnson's three with 16:23 left gave Minnesota its first lead. The Gophers led 13-10 on a backdoor layup by Durkin, but a quick 4-0 run by USC put the visitors in front by one. The lead switched hands five times, with Durkin and Grove each hitting three-pointers and a Tyson free throw made it 22-19 Gophers with 12:17 left before the half.
Minnesota led 22-21 for almost five minutes, as both teams went through a prolonged scoring drought, Ausar finally scored on a layup with 7:06 remaining. The Gophers regained a 27-23 lead on a three-pointer from Asuma and a Tyson layup, but USC responded with a 7-0 run, forcing Niko Medved to call timeout with 4:05 left. The run continued with a dunk for a 32-27 Trojans lead before Grove made a layup with 2:52 left. Baker-Mazara's three-pointer with 2:32 left was the final field goal of the half, and Grove added a free throw with a second remaining to cut the deficit to 35-30, as the Trojans closed the half on a 12-3 run.
Tyson led the Gophers with eight first-half points, while Durkin had seven points and a team-best four rebounds, Asuma had six points, three boards, three assists, and two steals, and Grove added six points. As a team, Minnesota made 10-of-26 (.385) field goals, including 6-of-18 (.333) three-pointers, and 4-of-6 free throws. USC was led by Baker-Mazara's 16 points, while Ausar had nine points and six boards, and Dynes added eight points. The Trojans were 14-of-28 from the field, but just 3-of-13 (.231) from behind the three-point arc, and 4-of-5 at the line, while holding a 19-13 rebounding advantage.
Baker-Mazara quickly scored six points in the opening minute of the second half to put the Trojans up 41-30 and force Medved to burn a timeout with 19:06 left. An Asuma jumper and a Reynolds three from the top of the key pulled the Gophers within 43-35, and a layup from Tyson with 15:50 left cut the deficit to six points. A Reynolds free throw made it a 6-0 Gophers run to cut it to 43-38, but a 5-0 USC run increased the lead to 48-38 with 11:09 left. A Crocker-Johnson layup pulled Minnesota within eight, but USC answered with a 5-0 run to lead 53-40 as the clock ticked under 10:00.
Needing a spark, Durkin made three-pointers 34 seconds apart, as Minnesota trimmed it to 55-46 and then forced a three-second violation at the defensive end. Reynolds scored on a layup to get within 55-48, and his short jumper in the lane made it 56-50 with 6:15 remaining. Another Reynolds jumper kept the Gophers within 58-52, but Cofie rolled in a short jumper on the baseline for an eight-point USC lead with 4:54 left.
Tyson missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but grabbed his rebound, was fouled, and made a pair at the line. Reynolds followed by coming up with a steal and throwing down a fastbreak dunk to trim it to 60-56 with 4:18 remaining. A pair of free throws by Ausar with 3:27 left made it 62-56, but Tyson drained a three-pointer and Crocker-Johnson's dunk with 2:17 on the clock cut it to 62-61. Tyson added two free throws with 0:45 left to make it a 7-0 run and put Minnesota up, 63-62. Dynes made the second of two foul shots with 33 seconds left to tie the score, and Minnesota called timeout with 28.4 seconds remaining. Tyson missed a 10-foot fadeaway jumper, and USC advanced the ball and called timeout, but only 0.3 seconds remained and the game went to overtime.
USC opened OT with a three-pointer on its opening possession, and Tyson tied the score by making his third three-pointer with 2:40 left. The Trojans pulled in front on a jumper by Ausar, but Crocker-Johnson's three-pointer with 27.5 seconds left sent the crowd into a frenzy and gave the Gophers a 69-68 lead. Baker-Mazara drove the lane and fell down with 10.9 seconds left, but a foul was whistled on Reynolds. Baker-Mazara went to the line for a 1-and-1 situation with 10.9 seconds left and made both attemps, putting the Trojans up one. The Gophers advanced the ball across the halfcourt line and called timeout. On the inbounds play, Tyson received the pass and attempted a 15-foot baseline jumper, but the ball caromed out of bounds with 0.2 left and USC walked off with the win.
The Gophers wrap up their three-game homestand versus Wisconsin on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Tipoff at Williams Arena is set for 6:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
The loss for Minnesota was its first at The Barn this season (9-1) and snapped a five-game winning streak. The Gophers trailed 53-40 with 9:48 remaining, but mounted a furious comeback to take a 63-62 lead with 0:45 left on a pair of free throws by Tyson. The Trojans managed to send the game to OT and Baker-Mazara's free throws wound up being the game-winners after Jaylen Crocker-Johnson's three-pointer had put Minnesota up one with 0:27.5 remaining.
Tyson's 20-point game was his ninth this season (two games with 30-plus). He finished 5-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and 7-of-10 at the free throw line. In addition to his 20 points and eight boards, Tyson added four assists, one block, and a steal in the full 45 minutes. Bobby Durkin added 13 points, going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals. Langston Reynolds finished with 12 points and six rebounds, Crocker-Johnson had 10 points, Isaac Asuma had eight points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals, and Grayson Grove pitched in with six points and three boards.
As a team, Minnesota finished the night at 24-of-62 (.387) from the field, including 12-of-35 (.343) threes, and 9-of-15 free throws. The Gophers were outrebounded 42-33 and USC had a 34-22 edge on points in the paint. The Trojans made 25-of-57 (.439) field goals, including 6-of-21 (.286) from long-range, and 14-of-17 (.824) foul shots. Baker-Mazara added eight assists to his game-high 29 points, while Ezra Ausar added 14 points and a game-best nine rebounds. Gabe Dynes had nine points and six boards, and Jacob Cofie had nine points for the Trojans.
USC jumped out to an 8-5 lead, but Tyson tied it with a three-pointer and Crocker-Johnson's three with 16:23 left gave Minnesota its first lead. The Gophers led 13-10 on a backdoor layup by Durkin, but a quick 4-0 run by USC put the visitors in front by one. The lead switched hands five times, with Durkin and Grove each hitting three-pointers and a Tyson free throw made it 22-19 Gophers with 12:17 left before the half.
Minnesota led 22-21 for almost five minutes, as both teams went through a prolonged scoring drought, Ausar finally scored on a layup with 7:06 remaining. The Gophers regained a 27-23 lead on a three-pointer from Asuma and a Tyson layup, but USC responded with a 7-0 run, forcing Niko Medved to call timeout with 4:05 left. The run continued with a dunk for a 32-27 Trojans lead before Grove made a layup with 2:52 left. Baker-Mazara's three-pointer with 2:32 left was the final field goal of the half, and Grove added a free throw with a second remaining to cut the deficit to 35-30, as the Trojans closed the half on a 12-3 run.
Tyson led the Gophers with eight first-half points, while Durkin had seven points and a team-best four rebounds, Asuma had six points, three boards, three assists, and two steals, and Grove added six points. As a team, Minnesota made 10-of-26 (.385) field goals, including 6-of-18 (.333) three-pointers, and 4-of-6 free throws. USC was led by Baker-Mazara's 16 points, while Ausar had nine points and six boards, and Dynes added eight points. The Trojans were 14-of-28 from the field, but just 3-of-13 (.231) from behind the three-point arc, and 4-of-5 at the line, while holding a 19-13 rebounding advantage.
Baker-Mazara quickly scored six points in the opening minute of the second half to put the Trojans up 41-30 and force Medved to burn a timeout with 19:06 left. An Asuma jumper and a Reynolds three from the top of the key pulled the Gophers within 43-35, and a layup from Tyson with 15:50 left cut the deficit to six points. A Reynolds free throw made it a 6-0 Gophers run to cut it to 43-38, but a 5-0 USC run increased the lead to 48-38 with 11:09 left. A Crocker-Johnson layup pulled Minnesota within eight, but USC answered with a 5-0 run to lead 53-40 as the clock ticked under 10:00.
Needing a spark, Durkin made three-pointers 34 seconds apart, as Minnesota trimmed it to 55-46 and then forced a three-second violation at the defensive end. Reynolds scored on a layup to get within 55-48, and his short jumper in the lane made it 56-50 with 6:15 remaining. Another Reynolds jumper kept the Gophers within 58-52, but Cofie rolled in a short jumper on the baseline for an eight-point USC lead with 4:54 left.
Tyson missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but grabbed his rebound, was fouled, and made a pair at the line. Reynolds followed by coming up with a steal and throwing down a fastbreak dunk to trim it to 60-56 with 4:18 remaining. A pair of free throws by Ausar with 3:27 left made it 62-56, but Tyson drained a three-pointer and Crocker-Johnson's dunk with 2:17 on the clock cut it to 62-61. Tyson added two free throws with 0:45 left to make it a 7-0 run and put Minnesota up, 63-62. Dynes made the second of two foul shots with 33 seconds left to tie the score, and Minnesota called timeout with 28.4 seconds remaining. Tyson missed a 10-foot fadeaway jumper, and USC advanced the ball and called timeout, but only 0.3 seconds remained and the game went to overtime.
USC opened OT with a three-pointer on its opening possession, and Tyson tied the score by making his third three-pointer with 2:40 left. The Trojans pulled in front on a jumper by Ausar, but Crocker-Johnson's three-pointer with 27.5 seconds left sent the crowd into a frenzy and gave the Gophers a 69-68 lead. Baker-Mazara drove the lane and fell down with 10.9 seconds left, but a foul was whistled on Reynolds. Baker-Mazara went to the line for a 1-and-1 situation with 10.9 seconds left and made both attemps, putting the Trojans up one. The Gophers advanced the ball across the halfcourt line and called timeout. On the inbounds play, Tyson received the pass and attempted a 15-foot baseline jumper, but the ball caromed out of bounds with 0.2 left and USC walked off with the win.
The Gophers wrap up their three-game homestand versus Wisconsin on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Tipoff at Williams Arena is set for 6:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Highlights: Gophers 69, USC 70 (OT)
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Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Hawkeyes
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Postgame Reaction: Gophers-Iowa
Wednesday, January 07
Highlights: Gophers 70, Iowa 67
Tuesday, January 06