Gophers can't overcome offensive struggles in disapointing loss to Penn State

It was too little too late for the Gophers in another tough loss at home.

Feb 22, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Femi Odukale (11) works around Penn State Nittany Lions guard D'Marco Dunn (2) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Minnesota came into Saturday's matchup against Penn State with a lot of confidence, but an incredibly poor stretch of offensive basketball in the middle of the game was too much to overcome and the Nittany Lions left with a 69-60 win.

Regained shooting confidence from Mike Mitchell Jr. helped the Gophers start fast. Despite Femi Odukale heading to the bench with two quick fouls only 1:54 into the game, two threes from Mitchell helped Minnesota carry a 13-6 lead into the first media timeout.

The Gophers' hot offensive start quickly seemed like a mirage, as they scored only two points in the final 9:01 of the first half. Penn State took advantage and carried a 28-26 lead into the locker room, behind impressive post-play and a game-high 10 first-half points from Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Minnesota came out of the break with a bit more energy, but the lack of a true center severely hurt their success defending the paint. Konan Niederhauser completely took over the game on both ends of the floor, as he finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks. The Gophers had no answer for his offensive game, and his defensive presence completely took them out of their rhythm.

Their abysmal offensive stretch carried well into the second half and they trailed by as many as 14 points. An unbelievable poster dunk from Odukale at the end of the second half sparked one last run, but it was too little too late and Penn State came out on top 69-60.

Femi Odukale put Yanic Konan Niederhauser on an absolute POSTER.

OH MY GOODNESS 🤯

pic.twitter.com/YxL2YRfnMM

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) February 22, 2025

Minnesota had five offensive players score in double figures, led by Odukale with 15 points. They shot 20-59 (33.9%) from the field as a team. The Gophers now hold a 14-13 overall record and a 6-10 mark in the Big Ten. They will look ahead to a favorable matchup on Tuesday night at the Barn against Northwestern, as they hope to get back on track.

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