IOWA CITY, Iowa — In a tightly contested matchup, Dawson Garcia poured in 20 points while Femi Odukale contributed 18, leading Minnesota to a 72-67 triumph over Iowa on Tuesday night.

For the majority of the second half, Minnesota maintained a comfortable lead of double digits. However, the tide began to shift when Owen Freeman scored six points during a 13-3 surge by Iowa that brought the game to a close 70-67 with just 30 seconds remaining. Then, in a crucial moment, Garcia missed two free throws. Iowa had a chance to capitalize, but Seydou Traore also missed his free throw attempt. Minnesota’s Frank Mitchell, however, secured the win by converting two free throws in the final seconds.

With this victory, Minnesota improved its record to 10-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten, marking consecutive wins after previously ending a four-game losing streak. Their last win had been against a ranked opponent, with a thrilling 84-81 overtime win against then-No. 20 Michigan just days prior.

On the other hand, Iowa’s struggles continued as they saw their record fall to 12-7 and 3-5 in conference play, suffering their third consecutive loss. Payton Sandfort stood out for Iowa with an impressive performance, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Freeman matched Sandfort’s score with 21 points and also contributed eight rebounds, while Traore added 11 points to the scoreboard.

Minnesota started the second half strong, with Garcia scoring seven points during a 14-3 run that bolstered their lead to 45-31 with 14:23 left in the game. With just over six minutes remaining, a couple of free throws from Garcia pushed the Golden Gophers’ lead to its peak at 17 points, making it 63-46.

Looking ahead, Iowa will host Penn State on Friday, while Minnesota will return home to take on No. 15 Oregon on Saturday.