UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In a decisive victory on Tuesday night, Minnesota secured a 69-61 win over Penn State, fueled by Dawson Garcia’s impressive performance of 19 points and 14 rebounds. Reserve player Brennan Rigsby contributed significantly as well, scoring 14 points while maintaining perfect shooting, including going 2 for 2 from beyond the arc and making both of his free throws. Lu’Cye Patterson also added 14 points for the Golden Gophers (12-11, 4-8 Big Ten), who managed to break a two-game losing streak with this victory.

On the other side, D’Marco Dunn led the charge for Penn State (13-10, 3-9) with 18 points. Support came from Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks, who both scored 11 points, while Nick Kern Jr. chipped in 10 points. Kern’s two free throws with just over nine minutes left in the game gave the Nittany Lions a slim lead at 46-44. However, Minnesota quickly regained control as Mike Mitchell nailed a 3-pointer on the next possession, flipping the script in favor of the Golden Gophers.

Following Mitchell’s shot, Patterson converted two free throws, and Rigsby found the net with a 3-pointer to extend Minnesota’s lead to 52-46. Although Dunn scored a layup shortly thereafter, reducing the deficit to 52-48, Penn State struggled to close the gap any further. This defeat marked the Nittany Lions’ fourth consecutive loss and the eighth in their last nine games.

Minnesota will aim to build on this momentum when they face off against 23rd-ranked Illinois on Saturday, while Penn State is set to visit UCLA for their upcoming matchup the same day.