Gophers suffer fourth straight home loss in uninspiring effort against Northwestern

Minnesota missed a huge opportunity against Penn State and the Wildcats.

Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) shoots as Northwestern Wildcats center Matthew Nicholson (34) defends during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers were betting favorites in a Big Ten game for only the third time this season on Tuesday night against Northwestern, but much like the first two instances, they looked uninspired, falling 75-63.

Minnesota couldn’t have started much worse, as Northwestern opened the game on a 10-0 run. The Gophers quickly responded with a run of their own, but it wasn’t until the 7:04 mark of the first half that they finally evened things at 21.

Once again, they failed to hold a first-half lead. Northwestern exploited Minnesota’s defensive gaps along the perimeter, shooting 7-of-11 from beyond the arc in the opening half. Dawson Garcia and Frank Mitchell combined for 19 of the Gophers' 31 first-half points, but they still trailed 36-31 at the break.

After a pair of upset wins in LA, the Gophers have suffered their fourth straight loss at home. They've returned to the Big Ten Tournament bubble.

Three regular season games remain, but what are your thoughts on Ben Johnson? 👇 pic.twitter.com/eTR86C64hT

— Bring Me The Sports (@BMTNSports) February 26, 2025

The second half started much like the first. Northwestern opened with a 9-2 run, extending its lead to 45-33. This time, Minnesota couldn’t find the quick response it had in the first half, and a lack of defensive intensity remained glaring.

Minnesota struggled to get anything from its backcourt. Lu’Cye Patterson and Mike Mitchell Jr. combined for just seven points on 3-of-16 shooting, adding five assists and three turnovers. Meanwhile, Nick Martinelli torched the Gophers with a game-high 29 points, and they had no answers as Northwestern cruised to a 75-63 win.

Both teams had plenty on the line in terms of Big Ten Tournament positioning, but Northwestern played like a team determined to keep its season alive in March—Minnesota did not. The Gophers have now fallen back into the conference’s bottom three, and their tournament hopes look bleak.

A tough three-game stretch remains to close the regular season. It starts Saturday at Nebraska, followed by a home matchup against Wisconsin on Wednesday, before finishing on the road at Rutgers.

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