University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, January 3
Evanston, IL
4:00 PM
University of Minnesota
9-5,2-1Big Ten
84
at
78
Northwestern
8-6,0-3Big Ten
1
2
F
Minnesota
34
50
84
Northwestern
34
44
78
Team Stats
MINN
NU
FG%
.549
.491
3FG%
.333
.261
FT%
.846
.800
RB
33
20
TO
11
4
STL
2
7
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
11
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's BasketballGuard
/ Men's BasketballGuard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Rally to Win at Northwestern
1/3/2026 6:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cade Tyson scored a game-high 24 points, including 17 in the second half, while Isaac Asuma added season-highs of 18 points and nine rebounds and Langston Reynolds finished with 13 points and a career-high 13 assists, as Minnesota (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten) rallied to win its fourth-straight game, 84-78, over Northwestern (8-6, 0-3 B1G) at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Â
Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak versus Northwestern and won in Evanston for the first time since an 83-57 win on Feb. 23, 2020. The Gophers trailed, 67-60, with 4:39 left, but outscored the Wildcats 24-11 from that point on.
Â
Tyson scored 10 points during that final stretch, finishing with 20-plus points for the eighth time this season. He made 6-of-13 field goals, but was 11-of-12 at the free throw line, while dishing out a career-high six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Asuma tied his career high with 18 points by making a career-best 4-of-7 three-pointers, and he led the team with nine rebounds, just one off his career high. Reynolds' career-high 13 assists is tied for fourth-most in Minnesota history and is the most for a Gopher since Elijah Hawkins dished out 15 helpers at Butler on March 19, 2024.
Â
Grayson Grove came off the bench for a career-high 12 points on 6-of-6 field goals, including four dunks, while also having three rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson finished with 10 points, and Bobby Durkin had five points and three rebounds. As a team, Minnesota made 28-of-51 (.549) field goals, including 6-of-18 three-pointers, and 22-of-26 (.846) free throws, while enjoying a 33-20 advantage in total rebounds. The Gophers were credited with 25 assists on their 28 field goals.
Â
Nick Martinelli led the Wildcats with 26 points, while Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page each scored 19. NU made 28-of-57 (.491) field goals, 6-of-23 (.261) from long-range, and 16-of-20 free throws.
Â
 Minnesota opened with a 4-0 lead on a pair of buckets in the lane from Crocker-Johnson, but the Wildcats answered with a pair of three-pointers from the top of the key for a 6-4 lead at the first media timeout. Tyson knotted the score with a 12-foot jumper, and Grove scored on a cut to the basket following an NU three-pointer. The Wildcats stretched the lead to 13-8, but Asuma hit a three-pointer, and a pair of layups by Reynolds tied the score at 15-15 with 10:24 left in the half.
Â
NU pulled ahead 19-15, but Minnesota countered with a 6-0 run on layups from Asuma, Reynolds, and Shinholster to retake a 21-19 lead. Trailing 28-24, Asuma knocked down his second three-pointer of the game to pull Minnesota within one at the third media timeout. A 5-0 run by the Gophers, which included Asuma's third trey, gave Minnesota a 32-30 lead and the teams wound up tied at 34-34 at the half.
Â
Asuma led Minnesota with 11 first-half points and three rebounds, while Tyson had seven points and three assists, and Reynolds had six points and five assists. The Gophers were 13-of-25 (.520) from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 (.833) at the free throw line. Minnesota had a 14-10 edge in total rebounds, and was credited with 11 assists on their 13 field goals. Reid led the Wildcats with nine points and Page added eight at the break. NU made 14-of-27 (.519) field goals, including 4-of-12 three-pointers, and 2-of-2 free throws.
Â
The teams battled back-and-forth to start the second half, with Reynolds scoring four points and Asuma connecting on his fourth three-pointer, and NU leading 44-43 at the first media timeout. A three-point play by Tyson put him in double-figures for the 14th time this season and trimmed NU's lead to 47-46, but the Wildcats responded with a 6-0 run until Tyson scored on a short jumper in the lane to cut it to 53-48 with 12:49 left. Asuma scored on a layup and Durkin rolled in a jumper from the free throw line to keep Minnesota within five each time, but Martinelli scored to give him eight-straight points and NU led, 59-52.
Â
Minnesota battled back with a 4-0 run to narrow the deficit to 59-56. Grove threw down dunks on back-to-back possessions for a 63-60 game, and added a third dunk to cut it to 67-62 with 4:23 remaining. Tyson's three-point play at the final media timeout cut NU's lead to two, and Crocker-Johnson drained a three-pointer for a 68-67 Gophers lead, forcing NU to call timeout with 3:23 left. After a pair of free throws by Reid put the Wildcats up by one, Reynolds made a pair at the line and then assisted on Grove's fourth dunk of the second half, and NU called another timeout with 1:54 left.
Â
A Martinelli free throw pulled the Wildcats within two, but Tyson beat the shot clock on a three from the top of the key and Reynolds added a free throw to put the Gophers up by six with 0:57 remaining. Tyson made a pair of free throws for a 78-72 lead, but Martinelli made a pair at the line and then scored on a baseline jumper after a Gophers turnover to cut it to 78-76 with 28.4 seconds left. Tyson went to the line and added two more free throws for a four-point lead, but Reid scored on a flaoter in the lane to cut it to 80-78 with 21.7 seconds remaining. Asuma made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left, and Durkin closed out the six-point win with two foul shots with 4.2 seconds left.
Â
Minnesota returns home to begin a three-game homestand versus Iowa on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Tipoff at Williams Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Â
Â
Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak versus Northwestern and won in Evanston for the first time since an 83-57 win on Feb. 23, 2020. The Gophers trailed, 67-60, with 4:39 left, but outscored the Wildcats 24-11 from that point on.
Â
Tyson scored 10 points during that final stretch, finishing with 20-plus points for the eighth time this season. He made 6-of-13 field goals, but was 11-of-12 at the free throw line, while dishing out a career-high six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Asuma tied his career high with 18 points by making a career-best 4-of-7 three-pointers, and he led the team with nine rebounds, just one off his career high. Reynolds' career-high 13 assists is tied for fourth-most in Minnesota history and is the most for a Gopher since Elijah Hawkins dished out 15 helpers at Butler on March 19, 2024.
Â
Grayson Grove came off the bench for a career-high 12 points on 6-of-6 field goals, including four dunks, while also having three rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson finished with 10 points, and Bobby Durkin had five points and three rebounds. As a team, Minnesota made 28-of-51 (.549) field goals, including 6-of-18 three-pointers, and 22-of-26 (.846) free throws, while enjoying a 33-20 advantage in total rebounds. The Gophers were credited with 25 assists on their 28 field goals.
Â
Nick Martinelli led the Wildcats with 26 points, while Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page each scored 19. NU made 28-of-57 (.491) field goals, 6-of-23 (.261) from long-range, and 16-of-20 free throws.
Â
 Minnesota opened with a 4-0 lead on a pair of buckets in the lane from Crocker-Johnson, but the Wildcats answered with a pair of three-pointers from the top of the key for a 6-4 lead at the first media timeout. Tyson knotted the score with a 12-foot jumper, and Grove scored on a cut to the basket following an NU three-pointer. The Wildcats stretched the lead to 13-8, but Asuma hit a three-pointer, and a pair of layups by Reynolds tied the score at 15-15 with 10:24 left in the half.
Â
NU pulled ahead 19-15, but Minnesota countered with a 6-0 run on layups from Asuma, Reynolds, and Shinholster to retake a 21-19 lead. Trailing 28-24, Asuma knocked down his second three-pointer of the game to pull Minnesota within one at the third media timeout. A 5-0 run by the Gophers, which included Asuma's third trey, gave Minnesota a 32-30 lead and the teams wound up tied at 34-34 at the half.
Â
Asuma led Minnesota with 11 first-half points and three rebounds, while Tyson had seven points and three assists, and Reynolds had six points and five assists. The Gophers were 13-of-25 (.520) from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 (.833) at the free throw line. Minnesota had a 14-10 edge in total rebounds, and was credited with 11 assists on their 13 field goals. Reid led the Wildcats with nine points and Page added eight at the break. NU made 14-of-27 (.519) field goals, including 4-of-12 three-pointers, and 2-of-2 free throws.
Â
The teams battled back-and-forth to start the second half, with Reynolds scoring four points and Asuma connecting on his fourth three-pointer, and NU leading 44-43 at the first media timeout. A three-point play by Tyson put him in double-figures for the 14th time this season and trimmed NU's lead to 47-46, but the Wildcats responded with a 6-0 run until Tyson scored on a short jumper in the lane to cut it to 53-48 with 12:49 left. Asuma scored on a layup and Durkin rolled in a jumper from the free throw line to keep Minnesota within five each time, but Martinelli scored to give him eight-straight points and NU led, 59-52.
Â
Minnesota battled back with a 4-0 run to narrow the deficit to 59-56. Grove threw down dunks on back-to-back possessions for a 63-60 game, and added a third dunk to cut it to 67-62 with 4:23 remaining. Tyson's three-point play at the final media timeout cut NU's lead to two, and Crocker-Johnson drained a three-pointer for a 68-67 Gophers lead, forcing NU to call timeout with 3:23 left. After a pair of free throws by Reid put the Wildcats up by one, Reynolds made a pair at the line and then assisted on Grove's fourth dunk of the second half, and NU called another timeout with 1:54 left.
Â
A Martinelli free throw pulled the Wildcats within two, but Tyson beat the shot clock on a three from the top of the key and Reynolds added a free throw to put the Gophers up by six with 0:57 remaining. Tyson made a pair of free throws for a 78-72 lead, but Martinelli made a pair at the line and then scored on a baseline jumper after a Gophers turnover to cut it to 78-76 with 28.4 seconds left. Tyson went to the line and added two more free throws for a four-point lead, but Reid scored on a flaoter in the lane to cut it to 80-78 with 21.7 seconds remaining. Asuma made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left, and Durkin closed out the six-point win with two foul shots with 4.2 seconds left.
Â
Minnesota returns home to begin a three-game homestand versus Iowa on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Tipoff at Williams Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Â
Highlights: Gophers 84, Northwestern 78
Saturday, January 03
Top Five Moments of 2025
Wednesday, December 31
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-FDU
Wednesday, December 31
Highlights: Gophers 60, FDU 43
Monday, December 29