The Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team had a merry Christmas at “The Barn,” as they picked up an overtime upset over No. 4 Iowa on Friday night.
The Gophers started off the game strong on the back of Marcus Carr, who put up a team-high 30 points. As the Gophers shut down Luka Garza in the first half, Minnesota went into the locker room with a 38-33 lead.
The second half went much differently for the Hawkeyes, going on a 12-2 run to take the lead and jumping on the back of Garza, who put up 32 points and 17 rebounds. Despite Garza’s efforts, the Gophers fought back but trailed by three points late in the game.
With the game on the line, Iowa’s Joe Toussaint missed a pair of free throws that gave the Gophers life. On the ensuing possession, Carr hit a clutch three-pointer that tied the game at 83 and eventually sent the game to overtime.
CLUTCH pic.twitter.com/LHlk4fMwcE
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) December 26, 2020
Brandon Johnson played a huge role in the extra frame, knocking down four three-pointers to add to his 26 point evening. With Iowa having some life left, Liam Robbins knocked down a clutch three-pointer that gave Minnesota a 102-95 victory.
The Gophers improve to 8-1 on the season and will look to keep their momentum when they host No. 12 Michigan State on Monday.
