MINNEAPOLIS — In a compelling matchup on Tuesday night, Parker Fox made a significant impact off the bench, scoring 16 points and helping lead Minnesota to a 58-47 victory against Cleveland State.

The Gophers, now with a record of 4-1, have been busy with five games in just 13 days to start the season. In this contest, they found themselves in another close game, holding a narrow 50-47 advantage with under four minutes remaining. The Vikings, currently at 3-3, struggled offensively in the game’s final moments, missing their last eight attempts after Je’Shawn Stevenson connected on a three-pointer with 4:18 left. The Vikings failed to score again after Stevenson narrowed the gap with two free throws at the 3:51 mark.

Alongside Fox, Dawson Garcia and Brennan Rigsby each contributed 13 points for Minnesota, while Isaac Asuma added another 13 to the scoreline. Femi Odukale recorded an impressive performance with 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks, in addition to scoring one basket. Garcia’s attempt to extend his personal streak of scoring over 20 points was halted, as Minnesota broke a three-game stretch where they won by margins of four points or less.

Fox, who displayed excellent shooting by going 7-of-11, achieved his top scoring performance in two seasons with the Gophers, having previously played at Northern State. On the other side of the court, Tevin Smith was the standout for Cleveland State with 10 points, but the team faced challenges overcoming Minnesota’s strong defensive play, which has limited opponents to an average of just 57.8 points per game. The Vikings endured a tough loss at Michigan, falling 101-53, and had an earlier 13-point defeat against Kansas State.

Cleveland State held the lead for much of the first half, but it never exceeded five points. A dunk from Fox and four free throws from Garcia shifted the momentum, allowing Minnesota to take a 28-27 lead with just 90 seconds remaining in the half. Smith briefly regained the lead for the Vikings with a jumper, but Fox responded with a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer, securing a 31-29 lead for Minnesota.

During the second half, the Vikings managed to tie the game on three occasions but were unable to take the lead at any point. The Golden Gophers are set to conclude their six-game homestand at home against Central Michigan on Monday and will then prepare for the ESPN Events Invitational in Florida, where they will encounter their first opponent from one of the Power Four conferences.