Brennan Rigsby saves Gophers with clutch shot to beat Nebraska

Minnesota continues to look like a different team on the road.

Mar 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Brennan Rigsby (24) signals after making a three point attempt against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

It was a roller-coaster game for the Gophers on Saturday. Nebraska erased a 19-point deficit in the second half to take the lead with 6:28 to go, but a career-high 20 points from Brennan Rigsby and a game-winner helped Minnesota take down the Cornhuskers 67-65 for their first-ever win at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

After rolling with the typical starting lineup, Ben Johnson brought Frank Mitchell off the bench to replace Parker Fox only 1:15 into the game. Mitchell's energy sparked an impressive first half from Minnesota, as he added six points and six rebounds.

Johnson went deep into his bench, giving early minutes to Rigsby and Kadyn Betts, and it was Rigsby again who provided a team-high 11 first-half points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Twenty bench points in the first 20 minutes gave Minnesota a 35-26 halftime lead.

Rigsby And-1 💪

Brennan Rigsby extends @GopherMBB's lead at Nebraska.#B1GMBBall on @BigTenNetwork 📺 pic.twitter.com/Q7JtqTriUB

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 1, 2025

Minnesota kept its momentum rolling to start the second half. After a scoreless first half, Dawson Garica had seven quick points, and they extended their lead all the way to 47-28 with just under 16 minutes to go.

Things completely changed after the under-16-minute media timeout. Nebraska responded with a 27-7 run and took a 55-54 lead with 6:28 to go. The Gophers' offensive flow and energy they had in the first half had completely disappeared, and Nebraska leaned on its home crowd to take a stranglehold on the game's momentum.

It was Rigsby's career-high 20 points and two massive threes down the stretch that helped Minnesota fight back. After a chaotic finish, Rigsby's game-winning three in the final seconds gave the Gophers a 67-65 win.

Brennan Rigsby’s game winner. 🤫

He finishes the day with a career-high 20 points.

pic.twitter.com/xeYebbPpR3

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) March 1, 2025

Lu'Cye Patterson was the only other Gophers player to score in double figures with 16 points, while Femi Odukale and Garcia both added nine.

The Gophers now move to 15-14 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten. With a 5-4 away record, they now have the same winning percentage on the road 55.5% as they do at home. Their next game will be back at the Barn against rival Wisconsin on Wednesday for the team's annual Senior Night.

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