Parker Fox came off the bench for a game-high 18 points, leading four Gophers players in double figures, as Minnesota (4-1) shut down Cleveland State (3-3) to post a 58-47 win at Williams Arena.
Fox made 7-of-11 field goals and was 3-of-5 at the free throw line, finishing the game with his most points at Minnesota. His previous best had been 16 points in a blowout win versus IUPUI on Dec. 12, 2023. Dawson Garcia added 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Brennan Rigsby finished with 13 points and four boards, Isaac Asuma had 10 points, and Femi Odukale tied his career-high with 12 rebounds to go with three assists, three blocks, and three steals.
The Gophers made 20-of-52 (.385) field goals, but were just 3-of-15 (.200) from long-range. However, Minnesota shot a season-best 15-of-19 (.789) at the free throw line and had a 37-32 advantage in rebounding. With Fox and Garcia combining for 31 points, many of them coming on drives to the basket, the Gophers held a 34-22 edge in points in the paint. Cleveland State was limited to 19-of-54 (.352) field goals, including just 5-of-20 (.250) three-pointers, and the Vikings are the first team Minnesota has held under 50 points since a 55-44 win versus Jacksonville on Nov. 24, 2021. Tevin Smith led CSU with 10 points and six rebounds.
Minnesota fell behind 6-2 to start, but Rigsby scored seven-straight points to give the Gophers a 9-8 lead with 12:59 left in the half. Minnesota went on a 10-4 run over a four-minute span to build a 19-15 lead, but the Vikings responded with an 8-0 run to regain a 23-19 lead with 6:12 remaining. A pair of free throws from Lu'Cye Patterson (two points, three rebounds) pulled the Gophers within two points, but CSU stretched the advantage to 27-22. A high-flying dunk by Fox and four free throws by Garcia put Minnesota back in the lead, 28-27, with 1:36 remaining, and Fox's 35-footer at the buzzer sent Minnesota to the locker room with a 31-29 lead.
Rigsby paced the Gophers with 10 first-half points, making 3-of-5 field goals, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Fox had nine points at the break, while Garcia had six points and three rebounds, and Asuma had four points. Minnesota made 9-of-23 (.391) field goals attempts (3-of-6 3FGA), and the Gophers were 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Cole Franklin led the Vikings with seven points, and Smith added six points.
Fox helped the Gophers build a 37-33 lead early in the second half by knocking down a short jumper in the paint and then tipping in a Patterson miss. Fox's reverse layup with 14:00 remaining kept the Gophers in front, 39-37, but CSU capped a 6-2 run to tie the score. Garcia's baseline drive for a layup with 11:03 remaining was his first field goal since the 17:07 mark of the first half, and it ignited a 6-0 run for the Gophers, as Asuma added a layup and Garcia banked in a short jumper in the lane to force a CSU timeout. The Vikings hit a three to snap a five-minute, 11-second scoring drought, but Asuma's jumper in the lane and a Rigsby dunk gave Minnesota a 49-42 lead.
Cleveland State used a 5-0 run to pull within 50-47, but free throws extended Minnesota's advantage back to 53-47 with 3:06 remaining. Fox's reverse layup with 1:53 left put the Gophers up by eight, and Garcia's three-point play with 0:50 left made it an 8-0 run and closed out the scoring, as Minnesota held CSU scoreless over the final 3:52.
The Gophers now have almost a week off before wrapping up their season-opening six-game homestand by playing host to Central Michigan on Monday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m., streamed on BTN+.
