CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats controlled the final minutes on Monday night, November 9, and then watched the game slip away. Cincinnati led Minnesota 61-54 with 2:37 to play at Fifth Third Arena, but the Bearcats did not score again and fell 63-61 before a crowd of 10,419, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The closing sequence unraveled quickly. Isaac Asuma pulled Minnesota within a point with 14 seconds left, the Enquirer reported, and Cincinnati could not extend the margin at the foul line. Myles Colvin missed a free throw with 10 seconds remaining, and MJ Collins Jr. then missed the front end of a one-and-one, leaving the door open for one last Minnesota possession.
Bobby Durkin took advantage. Durkin hit the go-ahead 3-pointer for the Golden Gophers — his first make from deep after starting 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer — and that shot held up as the winner as Cincinnati’s late lead disappeared in the final two minutes and 37 seconds.
Tylen Riley carried Cincinnati’s offense for much of the night, leading the Bearcats with 25 points and six 3-pointers. Outside Riley, however, the long-range shooting never came around. Cincinnati finished 7-for-29 from 3-point range, just 24.1 percent, and the rest of the Bearcats combined to go 1-for-20 from the arc, the Enquirer reported.
Minnesota also owned the glass, outrebounding Cincinnati 40-28. Kyan Evans led the Golden Gophers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, a double-double that helped Minnesota stay within striking distance until the final possessions gave the visitors their chance.
The result moved Cincinnati to 2-1 on the season while Minnesota improved to 3-0. The Enquirer reported it was Minnesota’s first win over Cincinnati since 1984, and Cincinnati’s earliest loss in a season since the 2020 Xavier game. Head coach Jerrod Calhoun, meanwhile, is still seeking his 300th career win after the milestone slipped away with Monday’s defeat.
For Cincinnati, the frustration is in how close the finish was. A seven-point cushion with under three minutes left at home is the kind of position the Bearcats expect to close out, but missed free throws, a cold night from 3-point range beyond Riley, and the rebounding gap left no margin when Minnesota made its last shots count.
What happens next is a quick test away from home. Cincinnati plays its first road game of the season at Dayton on Saturday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m. at UD Arena, with the game streaming on ESPN+. The Bearcats lead the all-time series with the Flyers 62-32, and they will head to Dayton looking to put a stinging home loss behind them.
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