Minnesota Defeats St. Thomas 76-62 in First Meeting Since 1934

Isaac Asuma scored 20 points and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 16 points and 10 rebounds as Minnesota defeated St. Thomas 76-62 on Friday night in Minneapolis.

The result marks the first matchup between the two programs since 1934. It is also the first contest since St. Thomas moved to the Division I level in 2021.

Asuma made four of Minnesota's 11 three-pointers. All four attempts occurred during a 16-0 run that established a 33-16 lead late in the first half. St. Thomas shot two of 18 from the field during the final 11 minutes of that half.

Crocker-Johnson extended the lead to 45-24 with a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second half. St. Thomas closed the gap to seven points twice later in the game. Minnesota responded to the first deficit with a 9-0 run and scored five consecutive points after the second.

Kyan Evans hit his only three-pointer of the night to put Minnesota up 72-60 with three minutes remaining. Nolan Groves contributed 15 points and three three-pointers off the bench, while Grayson Grove finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The win improves Minnesota's record to 2-0. The Golden Gophers now stand 99-6 all-time against Summit League opponents. St. Thomas falls to 1-1 after opening its season with an 87-78 win over Presbyterian. Jeremy Lorenz scored 13 points and Hayden Tibbits added 12 for the Tommies.