Bobby Durkin drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to complete Minnesota’s 63-61 comeback win over Cincinnati on Monday night, sending the Golden Gophers to 3-0 for the season. With just 14 seconds left and Minnesota trailing by one, Durkin’s deep shot found the bottom of the net after a fast break setup that flipped the game in the Gophers’ favour.
The winning play came after a tense sequence in the final two minutes. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored a hook shot with 2:16 remaining, followed by layups from Kyan Evans and Issac Asuma during a 6-0 run that put Minnesota ahead 61-60. Cincinnati’s Myles Colvin and MJ Collins each missed front ends of 1-and-1 free throws, giving Minnesota a final chance. Asuma secured the rebound off Collins’ miss, dribbled across midcourt, and passed to Durkin, who launched the shot that sealed the game.
Evans led Minnesota with 26 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 11 of 19 from the field and making three 3-pointers. He also contributed five assists. Crocker-Johnson added 11 points and Asuma finished with 10. Their combined effort helped overcome Cincinnati’s strong second-half performance.
Tylen Riley scored 25 points for Cincinnati, including 16 in the second half. He connected on a 3-pointer with 14:03 left to give the Bearcats the lead after a 30-30 halftime tie. Cincinnati maintained control for much of the second half, building their largest lead at 49-41 with just over eight minutes remaining. Tyler Tejada added 10 points for the Bearcats.
Despite Cincinnati’s lead late in the game, Minnesota’s resilience and clutch shooting turned the tide. The Bearcats had held the lead since 15:42 left in the second half, but Durkin’s buzzer-beater ended that run and handed Minnesota the narrow victory.
Minnesota will host Southern on Thursday, while Cincinnati travels to Dayton on Saturday. The Gophers’ unbeaten start continues after a close call on the road, while Cincinnati dropped to 2-1 following the loss.
According to Yahoo Sports.