Thrilling Showdown: Minnesota Edges Out UCLA 64-61 – February 18, 2025 Game Recap

In a thrilling game on Tuesday night, Minnesota pulled off an impressive comeback to defeat UCLA 64-61. Dawson Garcia shined, scoring 27 of his career-high 32 points after halftime.

With just eight seconds left, Lu’Cye Patterson made a crucial layup, putting Minnesota ahead 62-61. Garcia then sealed the victory with two free throws just before the final buzzer. UCLA’s last-second shot missed the mark, securing the Gophers’ win.

In a tense final moment, UCLA’s Sebastian Mack was called for a charging foul while attempting to drive down the lane, giving Minnesota the chance to hold on to their lead.

Prior to Patterson’s game-winning layup, Minnesota had been on an 11-2 scoring run. This changed the game after being down 62-61.

Mike Mitchell Jr. contributed 14 points, while Patterson added 11 for Minnesota, which improved to a record of 14-12 overall and 6-9 in the Big Ten.

For UCLA, Mack scored 13 points off the bench, while Tyler Bilodeau and Kobe Johnson each added 12 points. The Bruins, now at 19-8 overall and 10-6 in their conference, built an early lead after Lazar Stefanovic’s jump shot gave them a double-digit advantage at 18-7.

UCLA went on a notable 9-0 run, pulling ahead 29-12. However, Minnesota rallied, outscoring the Bruins 11-5 in the last five minutes of the first half, tightening the score to 34-23 at halftime.

After the break, Garcia and Mitchell’s three-pointers brought Minnesota within five points. Mitchell later made a layup, closing the gap further to 36-33.

This victory follows Minnesota’s recent performance, where they also overcame a 14-point deficit against USC. In that game, they scored 40 points in the second half. This time, they matched their largest comeback of 17 points against UCLA, scoring an impressive 41 points in the second half.

Looking ahead, Minnesota will host Penn State on Saturday, while UCLA prepares to face Ohio State on Sunday.