Durkin’s buzzer‑beater gives Minnesota a 63‑61 win over Cincinnati

Minnesota defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 63-61 on Monday night at Fifth Third Arena, securing a victory with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Bobby Durkin.

The Golden Gophers closed the game on a 9-0 run to overcome a deficit. Cincinnati had led 61-54 with 2:37 remaining after a layup by Eric Mahaffey, but Jaylen Crocker-Johnson sparked the Minnesota rally before Durkin finished the comeback from deep.

Kyan Evans led Minnesota with 26 points and 10 rebounds, posting a double-double. Durkin, who missed his first five 3-point attempts of the game, made the decisive shot in the final seconds.

For Cincinnati, senior guard Tylen Riley scored 25 points, converting a career-best 6-of-9 from long range. He also added five rebounds and three assists. Tyler Tejada contributed 10 points, while Elijah Perryman matched a career high with four steals in just seven minutes of play.

Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun noted the difficulty of the loss, stating, “It was a tough loss. There’s a lot to learn from, situational awareness and different things. Hats off to Niko [Medved] and his group to come in on the road. It's hard to win on the road. We certainly had our chances but could not close and win the game.”

Statistically, Minnesota won the rebounding battle 40-28. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with Cincinnati shooting 7-of-29 (24%) and Minnesota shooting 8-of-25 (32%). Cincinnati forced 17 turnovers and recorded eight steals, which led to 16 points.