The first regular-season Minnesota-St. Thomas meeting in nearly a century had the kind of buildup the Tommies had been waiting for, and for a while it looked like the Gophers were going to turn it into a quick lesson.
Minnesota came out with sharp defense and a hot hand from Isaac Asuma, building a double-digit lead early and stretching it to 20 late in the first half. By halftime, the Gophers were in control at 40-22, and St. Thomas had been held to just 23% shooting.
But the second half had a different feel. St.
Thomas settled in, found openings against Minnesota’s rotations and started making the Gophers pay for sloppy possessions. The Tommies hit timely threes, forced turnovers and turned missed Minnesota shots into a real push, trimming the margin to seven more than once.
Minnesota never fully let go of the rope. The Gophers got to the line, made enough free throws to keep St.
Thomas at arm’s length and held on for a 76-62 win, improving to 2-0. It got uncomfortable, but Minnesota’s size and strength gave it enough margin to survive the comeback attempt.
Asuma led all scorers with 20 points, and he did a lot of his damage early. He knocked down four threes in the first half and had 14 points by the break.
The key stretch came midway through the first half, when Minnesota ripped off a 16-0 run to open up a 17-point lead. That cushion ended up carrying the Gophers through the rough patches that followed.
The free throw line was another big edge for Minnesota. The Gophers finished 19-for-22 there and used those chances to stop St. Thomas momentum more than once.
Not everything clicked for Minnesota, though. Bobby Durkin had a quiet night, finishing with five points on 1-for-6 shooting while struggling on both ends.
With Kai Shinholster out for a month because of a calf injury, Orono High School grad Nolan Groves stepped into the sixth-man role and delivered. He played 29 minutes off the bench and scored 15 points.
In Other News...
Gophers Face One Brutal Test If They Want To Shock UCLA
Minnesota gets an early spotlight Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, where the Gophers will try to rebound from an overtime loss to Indiana against an undefeated UCLA team that has looked every bit like a contender. The matchup comes at 11 a.m. on FOX, with KFXN-100.3 FM carrying the radio call, and it sets up as a stiff challenge for a Minnesota group sitting at 5-3 and still searching for steadier offensive footing.
The problem is the Bruins bring the kind of defense that can make every possession feel like a test, especially for a Gophers offense that has had trouble finding rhythm against top competition. Minnesota is also dealing with some injury concerns at key spots, which only adds to the pressure on a Saturday that already asks a lot of the home team. If the Gophers are going to spring an upset, they will have to find answers quickly and keep the game from turning into the kind of field-position grind UCLA tends to win. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Let Local Rival Hang Around Before Finally Pulling Away
Minnesota had enough early to make this one look routine for a while at The Barn, building a lead as large as 21 points in the first half against St. Thomas in the first meeting between the in-state programs since the Tommies moved to Division I in 2021-22. The Gophers eventually finished off a 76-62 win, but the game had the feel of a local rivalry that still needs a little seasoning before it settles into a familiar rhythm.
St. Thomas did not go quietly, which is part of what made the second half worth watching for Minnesota fans. The Tommies chipped away enough to turn a comfortable afternoon into something more tense than expected before the Gophers steadied themselves and closed it out, a reminder that even a matchup that starts with a lopsided score can still carry some edge when the opponent is just down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Showed Something Important When St. Thomas Made This Tight
Minnesota got a useful early-season test from St. Thomas and answered it with enough balance to keep control in a 76-62 win. Isaac Asuma led the way with 20 points and four 3-pointers, while Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Nolan Groves and Grayson Grove chipped in enough scoring to give the Gophers a steady offensive base.
The matchup carried a little extra edge because it was the first time the programs had met in generations, and St. Thomas made it far tighter than a routine nonconference game. For a Minnesota team that is now 2-0, the bigger takeaway may have been less about the final margin and more about how it handled a game that demanded poise, shot-making and contributions beyond one main scorer. [Read more 🡒]