University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, March 11
Chicago, IL
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
15-17,8-12Big Ten
67
vs
72
Rutgers
14-18,6-14Big Ten
1
2
F
Rutgers
29
43
72
Minnesota
31
36
67
Team Stats
RU
MINN
FG%
.463
.521
3FG%
.435
.429
FT%
.706
.667
RB
27
26
TO
10
15
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
9
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's BasketballForward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballGuard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Sage Zipeto
Gophers Fall to Rutgers in Big Ten Tournament
3/11/2026 11:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cade Tyson scored 24 points, Bobby Durkin had 15 points, and Grayson Grove added 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but 14th-seeded Rutgers (14-18) rallied for a 72-67 win over 11th-seeded Minnesota (15-17) in the Second Round of the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center in Chicago.
The Gophers led 52-47 with 9:49 remaining, but Rutgers went on a 13-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to take control of the game.
Tyson made 9-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-7 three-pointers, and 3-of-3 free throws for his 15th game this season with 20-plus points. He's scored 609 points this season, which currently ranks seventh all-time at Minnesota, and his 19.6 points per game ranks fifth among Gophers players since 1978-79.
Durkin was 4-of-9 from three-point range, and added four rebounds and four assists, while Grove was 5-of-7 from the field. Isaac Asuma finished with nine points and three assists, Langston Reynolds led the team with eight assists and seven rebounds, while adding six points, and Kai Shinholster had three points, a season-high four steals, and a pair of assists.
Minnesota made 25-of-48 (.521) field goals, including 9-of-21 (.429) three-pointers, and 8-of-12 free throws, but RU had a 17-8 advantage on 15 Gophers turnovers and the Scarlet Knights had a 27-26 edge in rebounds. The Gophers were credited with 23 assists on their 25 made field goals, and had a 28-22 advantage in the paint.
Tariq Francis paced Rutgers with 29 points, while Jamichael Davis had 13 points and six assists, Emmanuel Ogbole had 10 points and seven rebounds. The Scarlet Knights made 25-of-54 (.463) field goals, including 10-of-23 (.435) from distance, and 12-of-17 (.706) free throws, all in the second half.
Minnesota opened the game with a 4-2 lead on a floater in the lane by Asuma and a layup by Grove, but the Scarlet Knights scored seven straight to lead 9-4 with 16:27 left. Tyson scored his first points of the night with a reverse layup, and Grove added his second layup to cut the lead to one. Asuma made a three-pointer to knot the score at 11-11 and then tied the score at 13-all with a pair of free throws, but an RU three-pointer gave the Scarlet Knights a three-point lead at the second media timeout with 11:58 remaining.
The lone scoring between the second and third media timeouts came on Grove's third layup and Durkin's first three-pointer, giving Minnesota an 18-16 lead with 7:36 left. Rutgers ended a five-and-a-half minute scoring drought and took a one-point lead on the second trey of the night by Francis, but Grove found Tyson for a dunk to put the Gophers up 20-19 with 5:54 remaining. Durkin connected on his second three-pointer and Tyson added a layup, making it a 7-2 Minnesota run and a 25-21 lead with 4:25 left, but Francis made his third triple to trim the lead to one.
A pair of free throws by Durkin put the Gophers up by three, but Francis scored five straight to give Rutgers a 29-27 lead with 1:45 remaining. Grove hit an eight-foot jumper to tie the score and then reached double-figures with a hook shot in the lane, sending the Gophers to the locker room with a 31-29 halftime lead.
Grove made 5-of-7 field goals and led Minnesota with 10 points and four rebounds at the half, while Durkin had eight points, Asuma had seven, and Tyson scored six. The Gophers made 12-of-23 (.522) field goals, including 3-of-8 (.375) three-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws, while holding a slim 13-12 edge on the glass. Francis led Rutgers with 16 points, making 6-of-10 field goals and 4-of-5 trifectas, while Ogbole added eight points. The Scarlet Knights made 12-of-28 (.429) first-half field goals, including 5-of-13 (.385) from three-point range, and did not attempt a free throw.
Tyson opened the second half with a three-pointer for a 34-29 lead, but Francis scored five straight to tie the score with 17:06 left. Tyson reached double-figures for the 31st time this season with a reverse layup, but a 4-0 RU run gave the Scarlet Knights a 38-36 lead. Tyson tied the score with a pair of free throws, and then the teams went on a run of six-straight three-pointers – Harun Zrno hit a three to give Rutgers a three-point lead, but Durkin and Shinholster answered for a three-point Gophers lead, then Davis tied it with a trey, and Durkin added another to put the Gophers up 47-44, but Zrno knocked another one down for a 47-47 tie with 11:11 left.
Tyson's three-point play and a layup by Reynolds, his first points of the night, put Minnesota up 52-47 with 9:49 remaining, but a 4-0 run by the Scarlet Knights narrowed the lead to one point at the third media timeout with 7:59 left. Rutgers extended the run to 11-0 for a 58-52 lead, before Tyson's jumper snapped a five-minute scoring drought for the Gophers and cut the deficit to 58-54 with 4:48 left. Durkin made 1-of-2 at the line to trim the lead to five, but Francis hit a jumper for a 62-55 lead for RU. A layup from Reynolds and an Asuma floater made it 64-59, but Rutgers closed out the win to advance to face UCLA.
The Gophers led 52-47 with 9:49 remaining, but Rutgers went on a 13-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to take control of the game.
Tyson made 9-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-7 three-pointers, and 3-of-3 free throws for his 15th game this season with 20-plus points. He's scored 609 points this season, which currently ranks seventh all-time at Minnesota, and his 19.6 points per game ranks fifth among Gophers players since 1978-79.
Durkin was 4-of-9 from three-point range, and added four rebounds and four assists, while Grove was 5-of-7 from the field. Isaac Asuma finished with nine points and three assists, Langston Reynolds led the team with eight assists and seven rebounds, while adding six points, and Kai Shinholster had three points, a season-high four steals, and a pair of assists.
Minnesota made 25-of-48 (.521) field goals, including 9-of-21 (.429) three-pointers, and 8-of-12 free throws, but RU had a 17-8 advantage on 15 Gophers turnovers and the Scarlet Knights had a 27-26 edge in rebounds. The Gophers were credited with 23 assists on their 25 made field goals, and had a 28-22 advantage in the paint.
Tariq Francis paced Rutgers with 29 points, while Jamichael Davis had 13 points and six assists, Emmanuel Ogbole had 10 points and seven rebounds. The Scarlet Knights made 25-of-54 (.463) field goals, including 10-of-23 (.435) from distance, and 12-of-17 (.706) free throws, all in the second half.
Minnesota opened the game with a 4-2 lead on a floater in the lane by Asuma and a layup by Grove, but the Scarlet Knights scored seven straight to lead 9-4 with 16:27 left. Tyson scored his first points of the night with a reverse layup, and Grove added his second layup to cut the lead to one. Asuma made a three-pointer to knot the score at 11-11 and then tied the score at 13-all with a pair of free throws, but an RU three-pointer gave the Scarlet Knights a three-point lead at the second media timeout with 11:58 remaining.
The lone scoring between the second and third media timeouts came on Grove's third layup and Durkin's first three-pointer, giving Minnesota an 18-16 lead with 7:36 left. Rutgers ended a five-and-a-half minute scoring drought and took a one-point lead on the second trey of the night by Francis, but Grove found Tyson for a dunk to put the Gophers up 20-19 with 5:54 remaining. Durkin connected on his second three-pointer and Tyson added a layup, making it a 7-2 Minnesota run and a 25-21 lead with 4:25 left, but Francis made his third triple to trim the lead to one.
A pair of free throws by Durkin put the Gophers up by three, but Francis scored five straight to give Rutgers a 29-27 lead with 1:45 remaining. Grove hit an eight-foot jumper to tie the score and then reached double-figures with a hook shot in the lane, sending the Gophers to the locker room with a 31-29 halftime lead.
Grove made 5-of-7 field goals and led Minnesota with 10 points and four rebounds at the half, while Durkin had eight points, Asuma had seven, and Tyson scored six. The Gophers made 12-of-23 (.522) field goals, including 3-of-8 (.375) three-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws, while holding a slim 13-12 edge on the glass. Francis led Rutgers with 16 points, making 6-of-10 field goals and 4-of-5 trifectas, while Ogbole added eight points. The Scarlet Knights made 12-of-28 (.429) first-half field goals, including 5-of-13 (.385) from three-point range, and did not attempt a free throw.
Tyson opened the second half with a three-pointer for a 34-29 lead, but Francis scored five straight to tie the score with 17:06 left. Tyson reached double-figures for the 31st time this season with a reverse layup, but a 4-0 RU run gave the Scarlet Knights a 38-36 lead. Tyson tied the score with a pair of free throws, and then the teams went on a run of six-straight three-pointers – Harun Zrno hit a three to give Rutgers a three-point lead, but Durkin and Shinholster answered for a three-point Gophers lead, then Davis tied it with a trey, and Durkin added another to put the Gophers up 47-44, but Zrno knocked another one down for a 47-47 tie with 11:11 left.
Tyson's three-point play and a layup by Reynolds, his first points of the night, put Minnesota up 52-47 with 9:49 remaining, but a 4-0 run by the Scarlet Knights narrowed the lead to one point at the third media timeout with 7:59 left. Rutgers extended the run to 11-0 for a 58-52 lead, before Tyson's jumper snapped a five-minute scoring drought for the Gophers and cut the deficit to 58-54 with 4:48 left. Durkin made 1-of-2 at the line to trim the lead to five, but Francis hit a jumper for a 62-55 lead for RU. A layup from Reynolds and an Asuma floater made it 64-59, but Rutgers closed out the win to advance to face UCLA.
Highlights: Gophers 67, Rutgers 72
Wednesday, March 11
Play in Focus: Cade Tyson
Tuesday, March 10
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Wildcats
Tuesday, March 10
Highlights: Gophers 67, Northwestern 66
Saturday, March 07