6 key takeaways after another heartbreaking Gophers OT loss at Ohio State

The Gophers gave Ohio State all they could handle on Tuesday night in Columbus, but ran out of gas in an 82-74 overtime loss. Here's what we learned.

Another heartbreaking loss

Tuesday night was Minnesota's fourth straight loss, and it was the third game in that stretch that came down right to the end. Your margin for error is razor-thin when you play a seven-man rotation, and their four-game losing streak is evidence of that. They're now 10-9 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten, but they're just a few plays away from a much different outlook.

Isaac Asuma's small plays

Tuesday night was not Asuma's best statistical game of his college career, but it felt like his most impactful. He finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals. His performance in the middle part of the second half was a big reason why Minnesota was able to keep pace with the Buckeyes.

Overcoming slow start

The Gophers did not trail by more than three points at halftime of their first four true road games of the season. They've looked prepared in every away game this season, but it took them a while to get going on Tuesday night after falling down 10-0 to start the game. It took them 4:37 seconds to score their first points and 6:35 to make their first field goal.

Despite all that, they proceeded to go on a 16-2 run and play themselves right back into the game. They trailed 31-28 heading into the break, extending their streak of trailing by three points or less at halftime of five straight road games.

Langston Reynolds is a defensive machine

If Reynolds isn't a member of the Big Ten All-Defensive team at the end of the season, something has gone horribly wrong. He takes on the challenge of defending the opposing team's best perimeter player, and he has been tested with Bennett Stirtz, Chad Baker-Mazara, John Blackwell, Kylan Boswell and now Bruce Thornton in consecutive games.

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He showed flashes in all those matchups, and he was impressive again on Tuesday night, limiting Thornton to 3 of 7 shooting in the first half with only 7 points. It will be hard to find five better defenders than him in the Big Ten at the end of the season.

Free throws

A big reason why Minnesota was able to storm back from an early 10-0 deficit was because of its aggression of getting to the free throw line. Led by six first-half free throws from Reynolds, they combined to go 10 of 11 from the charity stripe in the first 20 minutes. Gophers fans are well aware of the program's struggles at the free-throw line over the last few years, and tonight was one of their better showings in recent memory with a 20 of 25 night in that department, but one miss down the stretch of regulation could've been the difference.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson continues to improve

After having 22 points on 8 of 18 shooting from the field on Saturday at Illinois, Crocker-Johnson had a career-high 26 points on 11 of 19 shooting from the field. Cade Tyson had another quiet night and eventually fouled out in overtime, and Crocker-Johnson was the one Minnesota looked at to close the game. He does have one season of eligibility remaining, and it will cost the Gophers a lot of money to retain him this offseason.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson tonight against Ohio State

26 points (career-high)
FGs: 10-19
FTs: 3-4
8 rebounds

Heck of a performance in defeat.

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— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) January 21, 2026