The Gophers walked into Williams Arena on Wednesday night with a losing streak, a top-10 opponent in town, and a coach who leaned on sarcasm to lighten the mood. But by the final buzzer, there was nothing light about Minnesota’s performance - they had just pulled off one of their biggest wins in recent memory, upsetting No. 10 Michigan State 76-73 in front of a raucous home crowd.
Head coach Niko Medved, knowing full well the challenge of facing Hall of Famer Tom Izzo, had joked the day before about Michigan State’s “youth and inexperience” - a tongue-in-cheek nod to Izzo’s 31 years at the helm in East Lansing. “Maybe we can take advantage of Coach Izzo,” Medved quipped. “They won’t be very well prepared.”
Turns out, the Gophers were the ones who looked ready from the jump.
Minnesota came in as 8.5-point underdogs and fresh off seven straight losses. But they played like a team with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
The win marked their first over a top-10 opponent since 2021, when they knocked off then-No. 7 Michigan.
Earlier this season, they’d already taken down ranked Indiana and Iowa teams - but this one hit different.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was the offensive engine all night, pouring in a game-high 22 points. He was one of five Gopher starters to hit double figures, a testament to the balance and cohesion Minnesota showed on both ends of the floor.
The Gophers led by as many as 13 with just two minutes to play - up 69-56 - but Michigan State, as expected from a team coached by Izzo, didn’t go quietly. The Spartans mounted a furious rally, cutting the deficit to just two points with 19 seconds remaining.
That’s when freshman guard Isaac Asuma stepped to the line and calmly buried two clutch free throws. Langston Reynolds added one more to seal it.
Reynolds, in particular, had a night that went beyond the box score. He found himself in the middle of a tense moment with Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears, who’s developed a reputation for playing on the edge.
In the second half, Fears kicked his leg out toward Reynolds on a shot attempt - a move that initially drew a foul on Reynolds. But after review, the officials reversed the call and hit Fears with a flagrant.
Cade Tyson knocked down both free throws, and Minnesota kept the momentum.
That wasn’t the only dust-up involving Fears, but Reynolds never lost his composure. With four minutes to go, he converted a tough bucket through contact and let out a primal yell toward the crowd - a release of emotion that captured the energy in the building.
Minnesota set the tone early with a strong first half, taking a 32-21 lead into the break. They were lights-out from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of their 14 three-point attempts, while holding the Spartans to just 2-for-8 shooting from deep. Defensively, the Gophers were locked in, holding Michigan State to 33% shooting and forcing five turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
This wasn’t a fluke. It was a full-team effort, anchored by poise, shot-making, and timely defense. For a team that’s taken its lumps in conference play, this was a statement win - and maybe, just maybe, a turning point.
Minnesota’s season still has its challenges, but for one night, they outplayed a top-10 team, outlasted a late rally, and reminded everyone that underdogs can still bite.