University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, January 17
Urbana-Champaign, IL
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
10-8,3-4Big Ten
67
at
77
Illinois
15-3,6-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Minnesota
34
33
67
Illinois
34
43
77
Team Stats
MINN
Illini
FG%
.400
.407
3FG%
.343
.371
FT%
1.000
.842
RB
31
42
TO
7
10
STL
7
5
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
5
FTM
1
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballGuard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballGuard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Ceci De Young
Gophers Battle, but Fall at No. 13 Illinois
1/17/2026 1:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson made a career-high five three-pointers to finish with 22 points and eight rebounds, and Cade Tyson had 15 points and eight rebounds, but a 12-2 run midway through the second half helped propel Illinois (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten) to a 77-67 win over Minnesota (10-8, 3-4 Big Ten) at State Farm Center.
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Crocker-Johnson scored the first 11 points for the Gophers, finishing with his second-straight game with 20-plus points and just one off the career-high 23 points he scored versus Stanford on Nov. 27. He made 8-of-18 field goals, including 5-of-12 from three-point range, topping his previous career-best of four three-pointers that he had accomplished three times. Crocker-Johnson tied Tyson for the team-high with eight rebounds and added three assists and a steal. Tyson reached double-figures for the 18th time this season, and Langston Reynolds also finished in double-digits with 11 points to go with five assists and two rebounds.
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As a team, Minnesota made 26-of-65 (.400) field goals, including 12-of-35 (.343) three-pointers, and 3-of-3 free throws. Isaac Asuma finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a blocked shot, Bobby Durkin had five points, three assists, and two steals, Kai Shinholster had three points, and Grayson Grove added two points and two boards.
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Zvonimir Ivisic led Illinois with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Keaton Wagler had 17 points and five assists, and David Mirkovic finished with 12 points and eight boards. The Illini made 24-of-59 (.407) field goals, including 13-of-35 (.371) ghree-pointers (8-of-14 in the second half), and 16-of-19 (.842) free throws, while holding a 42-31 lead in rebounds.
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Minnesota quickly led 6-0, as Crocker-Johnson connected on a three-pointer on the first two possessions. Illinois countered with an 8-0 run to take a two-point lead, but Crocker-Johnson's reverse layup tied the score with 16:39 left. Wagler put the Illini up by three with the team's third three-pointer, but Crocker-Johnson drained his third trey of the game to tie the score and give him the first 11 points for the Gophers. Minnesota pulled ahead 16-13 on a fastbreak layup by Tyson and a three-pointer from Durkin at the 13:43 mark, but a 5-0 Illinois run put the Illini up by a pair.
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Tyson hit a jumper and Reynolds threw down a fastbreak dunk to put the Gophers up, 20-18, but the Illini answered with a 6-0 run for a four-point lead with 8:56 left in the half. The Gophers answered with a 12-2 run that included three-pointers from Asuma, Crocker-Johnson, and Shinholster to grab a 32-26 lead with 4:26 left. Illinois battled back to tie the score with 1:01 remaining, and Niko Medved called a timeout. Minnesota snapped a drought of almost three minutes, as Grove threw down a tip-in dunk with 0:38 left, but the Il lini scored to send the teams to their locker rooms tied at 33-33.
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Crocker-Johnson led the Gophers with 17 first-half points to go with five rebounds and a pair of assists. He was 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, in just 11 minutes. Tyson had four points and four boards, and all seven players scored for the Gophers. Minnesota made 13-of-31 (.419) field goals, including 7-of-18 (.389) from distance, and 1-of-1 free throws. Ivisic paced the Illini with 13 points and six rebounds. Illinois made 12-of-35 (.343) field goals, including 5-of-21 (.238) three-pointers, and 5-of-6 at the line, while holding a 24-17 edge in rebounds.
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A layup by Reynolds and Crocker-Johnson's career-high fifth three-pointer kept the game tied at 39-39 early in the second half, but a 5-2 Illini run put them up 44-41 at the first media timeout. A five-foot baseline floater from Reynolds pulled the Gophers within one, and after Illinois stretched the lead back to three points, Asuma's three-pointer tied the score at 46-46 with 14:34 remaining. Illinois scored five-straight to extend its lead to 51-46, but Tyson made a pair at the line and then added a transition three to make it 51-51 with 11:47 left. Wagler's third three-pointer put the Illini up, 54-51, but Tyson hit a 10-foot shot in the lane to cut it to one and give him seven-straight points.
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An 8-2 Illinois run, including three-pointers from Ivisic and Mirkovic, expanded the lead to 62-55 with 9:22 remaining, forcing a Minnesota timeout. Four more points at the line for the Illini gave them their first double-digit lead at 66-55, but Crocker-Johnson and Tyson scored and Reynolds hit a three-pointer with 5:17 remaining to cut the deficit to 66-62. Illinois responded by extending the lead back to 74-62 with an 8-0 run, before Asuma made a corner three with 2:12 left and Medved called timeout. On the inbounds, Durkin came up with a steal and a layup to cut it to 74-67, but Illinois made 3-of-4 free throws and secured its seventh-straight win.
Minnesota travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Tipoff at the Schottenstein Center is set for 5:30 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
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Crocker-Johnson scored the first 11 points for the Gophers, finishing with his second-straight game with 20-plus points and just one off the career-high 23 points he scored versus Stanford on Nov. 27. He made 8-of-18 field goals, including 5-of-12 from three-point range, topping his previous career-best of four three-pointers that he had accomplished three times. Crocker-Johnson tied Tyson for the team-high with eight rebounds and added three assists and a steal. Tyson reached double-figures for the 18th time this season, and Langston Reynolds also finished in double-digits with 11 points to go with five assists and two rebounds.
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As a team, Minnesota made 26-of-65 (.400) field goals, including 12-of-35 (.343) three-pointers, and 3-of-3 free throws. Isaac Asuma finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a blocked shot, Bobby Durkin had five points, three assists, and two steals, Kai Shinholster had three points, and Grayson Grove added two points and two boards.
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Zvonimir Ivisic led Illinois with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Keaton Wagler had 17 points and five assists, and David Mirkovic finished with 12 points and eight boards. The Illini made 24-of-59 (.407) field goals, including 13-of-35 (.371) ghree-pointers (8-of-14 in the second half), and 16-of-19 (.842) free throws, while holding a 42-31 lead in rebounds.
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Minnesota quickly led 6-0, as Crocker-Johnson connected on a three-pointer on the first two possessions. Illinois countered with an 8-0 run to take a two-point lead, but Crocker-Johnson's reverse layup tied the score with 16:39 left. Wagler put the Illini up by three with the team's third three-pointer, but Crocker-Johnson drained his third trey of the game to tie the score and give him the first 11 points for the Gophers. Minnesota pulled ahead 16-13 on a fastbreak layup by Tyson and a three-pointer from Durkin at the 13:43 mark, but a 5-0 Illinois run put the Illini up by a pair.
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Tyson hit a jumper and Reynolds threw down a fastbreak dunk to put the Gophers up, 20-18, but the Illini answered with a 6-0 run for a four-point lead with 8:56 left in the half. The Gophers answered with a 12-2 run that included three-pointers from Asuma, Crocker-Johnson, and Shinholster to grab a 32-26 lead with 4:26 left. Illinois battled back to tie the score with 1:01 remaining, and Niko Medved called a timeout. Minnesota snapped a drought of almost three minutes, as Grove threw down a tip-in dunk with 0:38 left, but the Il lini scored to send the teams to their locker rooms tied at 33-33.
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Crocker-Johnson led the Gophers with 17 first-half points to go with five rebounds and a pair of assists. He was 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, in just 11 minutes. Tyson had four points and four boards, and all seven players scored for the Gophers. Minnesota made 13-of-31 (.419) field goals, including 7-of-18 (.389) from distance, and 1-of-1 free throws. Ivisic paced the Illini with 13 points and six rebounds. Illinois made 12-of-35 (.343) field goals, including 5-of-21 (.238) three-pointers, and 5-of-6 at the line, while holding a 24-17 edge in rebounds.
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A layup by Reynolds and Crocker-Johnson's career-high fifth three-pointer kept the game tied at 39-39 early in the second half, but a 5-2 Illini run put them up 44-41 at the first media timeout. A five-foot baseline floater from Reynolds pulled the Gophers within one, and after Illinois stretched the lead back to three points, Asuma's three-pointer tied the score at 46-46 with 14:34 remaining. Illinois scored five-straight to extend its lead to 51-46, but Tyson made a pair at the line and then added a transition three to make it 51-51 with 11:47 left. Wagler's third three-pointer put the Illini up, 54-51, but Tyson hit a 10-foot shot in the lane to cut it to one and give him seven-straight points.
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An 8-2 Illinois run, including three-pointers from Ivisic and Mirkovic, expanded the lead to 62-55 with 9:22 remaining, forcing a Minnesota timeout. Four more points at the line for the Illini gave them their first double-digit lead at 66-55, but Crocker-Johnson and Tyson scored and Reynolds hit a three-pointer with 5:17 remaining to cut the deficit to 66-62. Illinois responded by extending the lead back to 74-62 with an 8-0 run, before Asuma made a corner three with 2:12 left and Medved called timeout. On the inbounds, Durkin came up with a steal and a layup to cut it to 74-67, but Illinois made 3-of-4 free throws and secured its seventh-straight win.
Minnesota travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Tipoff at the Schottenstein Center is set for 5:30 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Highlights: Gophers 67, Illinois 77
Saturday, January 17
Fan Sinks Half Court Shot
Friday, January 16
Highlights: Gophers 75, Wisconsin 78
Tuesday, January 13
Highlights: Gophers 69, USC 70 (OT)
Friday, January 09