Minnesota kept rolling on Monday night, and it was Cade Asuma who set the tone from the start.
The sophomore guard poured in a career-high 23 points, and the Gophers stayed unbeaten at 4-0 with a 91-61 win over Southern University at The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Minnesota shot 33 of 55 from the field and had five players finish in double figures in a game that never really slipped out of its control.
Asuma was the headliner again after posting a career-best 20 points in last week’s 76-62 win over St. Thomas.
Against Southern, he went 9 of 14 from the floor and 4 of 8 from 3-point range, while also adding 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Bobby Durkin chipped in 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, Kyan Evans scored 10 points with 6 assists and 4 rebounds, Malick Kordel finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson also reached 10 points and 5 boards while crossing 1,000 career points.
Minnesota’s offense was sharp all night. The Gophers finished at 60 percent from the field, marking their first game at that level since making 30 of 50 in a home win versus Rutgers on Feb.
21, 2026. They were 9 of 15 from 3-point range in the first half alone and ended up 13 of 27 overall from deep.
Minnesota also won the glass 40-21, outscored Southern 36-24 in the paint, and piled up 28 assists on 33 made baskets.
Southern got 12 points apiece from Daniel Dormu and Justin Page, with Lionel Larvadain III adding 10.
Minnesota didn’t waste much time taking command. The Gophers opened with an 8-4 lead behind threes from Crocker-Johnson and Asuma, but Southern answered with a 6-0 spurt to briefly go in front 10-8.
That was about as good as it got for the Jaguars. Minnesota ripped off a 14-0 run, with Kordel scoring six points and Asuma knocking down his second 3-pointer, and the lead grew to 27-12 with 7:37 left in the half.
Southern trimmed it back to 27-20 after a layup and 3-pointer from Larvadain and a three-point play by Dormu, but Minnesota responded with another surge before halftime. This one was 19-4, powered by Asuma’s third 3-pointer, a layup from him as well, a second trey from Groves, a 3-pointer and layup from Evans, and two more 3-pointers from Durkin. That pushed the Gophers to a 46-26 halftime edge.
At the break, Minnesota had already hit 17 of 26 shots and 9 of 15 from beyond the arc. Asuma led the way with 14 points and 5 assists in the first half, while Evans had 9 points.
Durkin, Kordel, and Groves each scored 6. Larvadain and Dormu paced Southern with 7 apiece.
The second half never turned into much of a chase. Grove, Durkin, and Asuma all scored on layups, and Kordel added his fourth dunk to make it 54-29 with 16:30 remaining. Crocker-Johnson then scored five points in a 13-3 run that stretched the margin to 67-36 with 12:48 left.
Minnesota’s lead mostly hovered between 25 and 30 points after that, though Southern did trim it to 74-51 on a 6-0 run with 4:53 to play. Niko Medved used 13 players, and 10 of them scored.
Nolan Groves added 8 points for Minnesota, while Grayson Grove finished with 7 points and a team-high 6 rebounds. Michigan transfer Winters Grady knocked down a 3-pointer for his first points as a Gopher, and freshman Nolen Anderson of Wayzata closed the scoring with his first collegiate points on a three-point play.
Minnesota now turns to Western Illinois to finish the two-game homestand. The Gophers and Leathernecks are set for a 7:00 p.m. CST tipoff on Monday, Nov. 16, on Big Ten Network.
In Other News...
Minnesota Needs One Offensive Fix To End Its Slide At Penn State
Minnesota heads to Penn State trying to stop a two-game skid, and the Gophers know the margin for error is getting thin. The offense has been the biggest concern during the slide, and this matchup offers a chance to reset against a Penn State team that has shown some cracks on defense. For Minnesota, the challenge is less about finding a brand-new identity than cleaning up one area of the attack that has kept drives from turning into points.
Penn State still brings enough talent and disruption to make the trip tricky, which is why Minnesota cannot afford to let the game drift into the kind of uneven, possession-by-possession battle that has hurt it lately. The Nittany Lions have playmakers on defense who can change the tone quickly, and the outcome could hinge on whether Minnesota can finally string together a more complete offensive showing. There is room for an upset if the Gophers find the right answer, but there is also plenty of room for the game to tilt the other way in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Unbeaten Start Comes With An Early Warning Sign
Minnesotas unbeaten start has come with plenty to like, especially after a 91-61 win over Southern that featured a career-high 23 points from guard Isaac Asuma and a crisp 60 percent shooting night from the field. The Gophers have looked efficient enough to handle the early schedule, and the offense has shown enough balance to give coach Niko Medved reason for optimism as the season settles in.
Still, the next stretch is where the early warning sign matters most. Medved left the Southern game more concerned about the ball than the scoreboard, knowing Minnesota is about to face a tougher level of competition and cannot afford to keep giving possessions away if it wants this hot start to mean something once the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Fans Have Another Reason To Worry About In-State Recruiting
Minnesota fans already know how hard it can be to keep top in-state talent home, and Jack Thelens college choice is another reminder of that reality. The Maple Grove senior center is a 4-star recruit with the kind of size and competitive edge that usually makes him a priority target, and his game has drawn attention well beyond the Twin Cities because of the way he blends physicality with basketball skill.
Thelen had once been headed to Wisconsin before reopening his recruitment, and his path through the process included official visits elsewhere before he made his decision. For the Gophers, it is the sort of recruiting miss that stings not just because of the player involved, but because it fits a familiar pattern in a state that keeps producing prospects worth chasing. Meanwhile, his teammate Baboucarr Ann is headed to Wisconsin, adding another layer to a recruiting story Minnesota followers would have preferred to see unfold differently. [Read more 🡒]