University of Minnesota Athletics
Monday, December 29
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
60
vs
43
FDU
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Durkin Paces Gophers in Final Nonconference Game
12/29/2025 10:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 19 points, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Cade Tyson finished with 12 points, as Minnesota (8-5) won its third-straight game, 60-43, over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-10) at Williams Arena.
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Minnesota led 32-29 at the half, but Durkin and Crocker-Johnson played key roles in a 19-1 run to open the second half. Crocker-Johnson scored 10 points during the run, while Durkin added eight. Durkin made 7-of-12 field goals, including three from behind the arc, while adding three assists, three rebounds, a steal, and a block. His previous season-high had been a pair of games with 12 points. Crocker-Johnson was 6-of-14 from the field, but tied his season-high with four three-pointers, and aadded the seven boards to lead the Gophers.
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Tyson, who leads the Big Ten and is fourth nationally in scoring, tallied the final five points of the game to reach double-figures for the 13th time this season. Tyson's minutes were limited by foul trouble, but he was 5-of-10 from the field and added four rebounds and three assists. Isaac Asuma finished with five points, five rebounds, and four assists, Langston Reynolds finished with six rebounds, three steals, two points, and a pair of assists, Kai Shinholster led the team with five assists and added four rebounds and three points, and Grayson Grove finished with three steals, two boards, and two points.
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As a team, Minnesota made 22-of-57 (.386) field goals, including 10-of-32 (.313) three-pointers, and 6-of-12 free throws, while finishing with a slim 40-39 rebounding advantage. The Gophers had a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers and a 22-10 edge in points in the paint. The 43 points allowed was a season-best for the Gophers and the first time holding an opponent under 50 points since a 55-49 win versus Cleveland State on Nov. 19, 2024. The Gophers also limited FDU to 14 second-half points, which marked the fewest since holding Wisconsin to 14 first-half points on Jan. 3, 2019.
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Eric Parnell was the lone Knights player to reach double-figures with 17 points. FDU made 14-of-52 (.269) field goals, including just 4-of-25 in the second half. The Knights were 7-of-26 (.269) from beyond the arc, and 8-of-14 (.571) at the line.
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Minnesota opened the game with a 7-2 lead, as Crocker-Johnson made a three-pointer from the top of the key and Tyson scored twice, but the Knights responded with a 5-0 run to tie the score at the first media timeout. The Knights extended the run to 7-0 before Grove's layup with 14:10 left began a second 7-2 run for the Gophers, including Crocker-Johnson's second three-pointer, and Minnesota led, 14-11. Crocker-Johnson and Asuma added back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead to 20-14 with 9:08 remaining in the half.
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FDU fought back with an 11-2 run, including three treys from Parnell, to take a 25-22 lead with 6:14 left. Durkin and Tyson each connected from long-range, ending a four-minute field goal drought, and Durkin added a layup for an 8-0 run and a 30-25 lead. A 4-0 FDU run pulled the Knights within one, but Reynolds made a pair of free throws for a 32-29 halftime lead.
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Crocker-Johnson and Durkin each led the Gophers with nine first-half points, while Tyson added seven points and three assists. As a team, Minnesota made 11-of-23 (.478) first-half field goals, including 6-of-15 (.400) three-pointers, and 4-of-10 free throws. The Gophers held a slim 18-16 edge in total rebounds, and were credited with assists on 10 of 11 field goals. Parnell led all players with 14 points at the half for the Knights, who made 10-of-27 (.370) field goals, including 5-of-13 (.385) from beyond the arc, and 4-of-6 free throws.
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After a slow start to the second half for both teams, Durkin's third three-pointer and a three-point play from Crocker-Johnson gave Minnesota its largest lead at 38-29. Durkin extended the lead to 43-30 and reached a season-high in points by draining his third three-pointer and adding a baseline jumper for an 11-1 Gophers run. Crocker-Johnson added a layup and tied his season-high with his fourth three-pointer to make it a 16-1 run and a 48-30 lead, forcing FDU to call timeout with 9:44 left.
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Shinholster made it a 21-point lead by hitting the Gophers' 10th three-pointer of the night, before Parnell made a three for FDU's first field goal of the second half with 9:03 remaining. Asuma and Durkin added layups for a 55-34 lead, but the Knights trimmed the lead to 14 points with a 7-0 run, forcing Niko Medved to call a timeout with 3:34 remaining. FDU cut it to 55-43, but Tyson's three-point play put him in double-figures for the 13th time and ended the Knights' 9-0 run. Tyson added a layup
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Minnesota returns to Big Ten play when it travels to Northwestern on Saturday, Jan. 3. Tipoff in Evanston is set for 4:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
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Minnesota led 32-29 at the half, but Durkin and Crocker-Johnson played key roles in a 19-1 run to open the second half. Crocker-Johnson scored 10 points during the run, while Durkin added eight. Durkin made 7-of-12 field goals, including three from behind the arc, while adding three assists, three rebounds, a steal, and a block. His previous season-high had been a pair of games with 12 points. Crocker-Johnson was 6-of-14 from the field, but tied his season-high with four three-pointers, and aadded the seven boards to lead the Gophers.
Ty
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Tyson, who leads the Big Ten and is fourth nationally in scoring, tallied the final five points of the game to reach double-figures for the 13th time this season. Tyson's minutes were limited by foul trouble, but he was 5-of-10 from the field and added four rebounds and three assists. Isaac Asuma finished with five points, five rebounds, and four assists, Langston Reynolds finished with six rebounds, three steals, two points, and a pair of assists, Kai Shinholster led the team with five assists and added four rebounds and three points, and Grayson Grove finished with three steals, two boards, and two points.
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As a team, Minnesota made 22-of-57 (.386) field goals, including 10-of-32 (.313) three-pointers, and 6-of-12 free throws, while finishing with a slim 40-39 rebounding advantage. The Gophers had a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers and a 22-10 edge in points in the paint. The 43 points allowed was a season-best for the Gophers and the first time holding an opponent under 50 points since a 55-49 win versus Cleveland State on Nov. 19, 2024. The Gophers also limited FDU to 14 second-half points, which marked the fewest since holding Wisconsin to 14 first-half points on Jan. 3, 2019.
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Eric Parnell was the lone Knights player to reach double-figures with 17 points. FDU made 14-of-52 (.269) field goals, including just 4-of-25 in the second half. The Knights were 7-of-26 (.269) from beyond the arc, and 8-of-14 (.571) at the line.
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Minnesota opened the game with a 7-2 lead, as Crocker-Johnson made a three-pointer from the top of the key and Tyson scored twice, but the Knights responded with a 5-0 run to tie the score at the first media timeout. The Knights extended the run to 7-0 before Grove's layup with 14:10 left began a second 7-2 run for the Gophers, including Crocker-Johnson's second three-pointer, and Minnesota led, 14-11. Crocker-Johnson and Asuma added back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead to 20-14 with 9:08 remaining in the half.
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FDU fought back with an 11-2 run, including three treys from Parnell, to take a 25-22 lead with 6:14 left. Durkin and Tyson each connected from long-range, ending a four-minute field goal drought, and Durkin added a layup for an 8-0 run and a 30-25 lead. A 4-0 FDU run pulled the Knights within one, but Reynolds made a pair of free throws for a 32-29 halftime lead.
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Crocker-Johnson and Durkin each led the Gophers with nine first-half points, while Tyson added seven points and three assists. As a team, Minnesota made 11-of-23 (.478) first-half field goals, including 6-of-15 (.400) three-pointers, and 4-of-10 free throws. The Gophers held a slim 18-16 edge in total rebounds, and were credited with assists on 10 of 11 field goals. Parnell led all players with 14 points at the half for the Knights, who made 10-of-27 (.370) field goals, including 5-of-13 (.385) from beyond the arc, and 4-of-6 free throws.
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After a slow start to the second half for both teams, Durkin's third three-pointer and a three-point play from Crocker-Johnson gave Minnesota its largest lead at 38-29. Durkin extended the lead to 43-30 and reached a season-high in points by draining his third three-pointer and adding a baseline jumper for an 11-1 Gophers run. Crocker-Johnson added a layup and tied his season-high with his fourth three-pointer to make it a 16-1 run and a 48-30 lead, forcing FDU to call timeout with 9:44 left.
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Shinholster made it a 21-point lead by hitting the Gophers' 10th three-pointer of the night, before Parnell made a three for FDU's first field goal of the second half with 9:03 remaining. Asuma and Durkin added layups for a 55-34 lead, but the Knights trimmed the lead to 14 points with a 7-0 run, forcing Niko Medved to call a timeout with 3:34 remaining. FDU cut it to 55-43, but Tyson's three-point play put him in double-figures for the 13th time and ended the Knights' 9-0 run. Tyson added a layup
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Minnesota returns to Big Ten play when it travels to Northwestern on Saturday, Jan. 3. Tipoff in Evanston is set for 4:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
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Highlights: Gophers 60, FDU 43
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Highlights: Gophers 78, Campbell 50
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Cade Tyson's 38 Point Performance
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