Bobby Durkin’s buzzer-beater downs Cincinnati Bearcats 63-61

Image by Henry Creel Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) shoots a three pointer in the first half of Minnesota’s home opener against the University of North Dakota on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 at The Barn by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. Bobby Durkin’s buzzer-beater downs Cincinnati Bearcats 63-61 With the win on the road, Gophers improve to 3-0 on the season. Categories: Marquee Other Sports by Jaxon Fetch Published November 10, 2026 Bobby Durkin sank his only 3-pointer of the night as time expired to complete a late-game comeback, lifting the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers past the University of Cincinnati Bearcats following a sequence of missed free throws down the stretch. Through halftime, the Gophers kept the game tight. Tied 30-30, the two teams battled into the second half. Minnesota trailed 61-54 with 2:37 on the clock before mounting a 6-0 run to cut the Bearcats’ lead to one point with 14.5 seconds left. The Gophers’ comeback was fueled by layups from Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Kyan Evans and Isaac Asuma. Following back-to-back missed 1-and-1 free throw opportunities by both teams, Cincinnati went back to the line for another 1-and-1 attempt with 5.1 seconds left. The Bearcats missed the free throw, allowing Asuma to rebound and quickly pass ahead to Durkin. Durkin took a single dribble before knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer as the clock ran out. Durkin talked about the moment postgame and the environment on the road. “Isaac hit me with a great pass,” Durkin said. “Obviously I didn’t think I was playing my best tonight, so I was just happy that I was able to pull through for the team. The crowd was awesome tonight, so to get that shot was awesome. We’re super happy about it.” Head coach Niko Medved praised Durkin’s clutch performance following the win. “So happy for Bobby Durkin,” Medved said. “He’s a great shooter. It wasn’t his game tonight, but he made the one that counted.” Though Durkin made the game-winning play, the Gophers’ offense mostly came from point guard Kyan Evans. Evans scored career highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds. He also led the team with five assists. Minnesota returns home to face Southern University on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment More to Discover More in Marquee Video: How three students interact with art outside the classroom The covert politics of climate change Get swept up in ‘Ride the Cyclone’ at the Rarig Center Jaylen Crocker-Johnson earns spot on Karl Malone Award watch list Somali community faces stress once again following midterm rhetoric Meet the three Minneapolis School Board-elects seeking to make change More in Other Gophers men's basketball defeats North Dakota in season opener Gophers women’s basketball beats Harvard in season opener Gophers men’s and women’s basketball host opening-night doubleheader Cade Tyson sidelined while awaiting eligibility ruling Gophers women’s golf looks to finish fall season on a high note McKinney wins gold and MVP in 3x3 at the U23 World Cup More in Sports No. 18 Gophers men's hockey ties, then falls to No. 1 Wisconsin No. 8 UCLA offense overwhelms the Gophers in 34-20 loss Week 10: Gophers football hopes to upset undefeated No. 8 UCLA No. 18 Gophers men's hockey hosts border rival No. 1 Wisconsin No. 2 Gophers sweep Duluth on the road No. 18 Gophers men’s hockey earns overtime win after tie against Penn State