Penn State men’s basketball (10-12, 1-10 Big Ten) defeated Minnesota (10-12, 3-8 Big Ten) 77-75 in thrilling fashion on Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center to win its first conference game.

Freddie Dilione V and Josh Reed carried much of the load with 25 and 18 points, respectively. Kayden Mingo was the hero in the late game with the game-winning bucket for Penn State.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions had to deal with a depleted front court against the Gophers, with Saša Ciani and Tibor Mirtič still out due to injury, and starting center Ivan Jurić also unable to suit up. Dominick Stewart fired off the first shot of the game but could not connect from distance. Cade Tyson scored the first points of the game for Minnesota at the foul line.

Dilione responded on the next possession with his signature pull-up jumper to give Penn State its first lead. Reed extended the lead with a 3-pointer in front of the Gopher bench. Both teams traded buckets on the next few possessions before the under-sixteen media timeout.

Out of the break, Dilione took it to the hole and extended the Nittany Lion lead to 11-7. Tyson got two points back for Minnesota, but Reed added two more at the charity stripe for Penn State. Dilione pit-pocketed his defender and went the length of the court for a one-handed dunk to fire up the home crowd a couple possesions later. Penn State led 15-9 with 13 minutes to play in the first half.

Bobby Durkin and the Gophers responded with a quick 5-0 run, but Melih Tunca stalled the momentum with a layup for Penn State. Niko Medved was forced to call a Minnesota timeout after Justin Houser found the score sheet, and Penn State led 19-14 halfway through the opening half.

Kayden Mingo went to work out of the timeout and found himself a quick bucket in the paint for the blue and white. Dilione exploited the Minnesota zone defense and knocked down a 3-pointer before Durkin answered with one of his own. Mingo and Tunca reignited their back-court connection from earlier in the season, and Tunca scored an easy layup off a feed from his fellow freshman.

The Nittany Lions led 26-19 coming out of the under-eight media break. Reed knocked down a triple on Penn State’s first possession after the stoppage off a rebound and kick from Houser. Dilione scored on the next possession, and the lead grew to 12 points.

Minnesota scored back-to-back buckets, but Tunca and Reed went on a 5-0 run in response. The Gophers were forced to call another timeout, trailing 36-23 with 2:49 to go in the first half. Langston Reynolds drilled two 3-pointers for the visitors out of the break.

Reed’s hot hand continued from distance, and stopped the mini Gopher run with a triple from the top of the arc. Tyson was called for a flagrant one foul, and Stewart hit his two shots at the line with a minute to go. The Nittany Lions took a 41-31 lead into halftime.

Leading at the break pic.twitter.com/4mcrT0M4yB

— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 1, 2026

Tyson opened the second half scoring with a jumper, and Dilione did the same on the other end of the court. After a couple of empty possessions by both teams, Stewart broke the dam with an and-one layup, and Penn State immediately went to a full-court press.

Stewart beat the buzzer with a tough two-pointer jumper before the under-sixteen media timeout. Renyolds slammed in a dunk after the timeout, but Penn State still led 50-39. Both teams traded buckets over the next few minutes.

Minnesota cut the deficit in half before Durkin swished another 3-pointer, and just like that, Penn State’s lead was down to three. Stewart answered for the Nittany Lions with a triple in front of Mike Rhoades, and the Bryce Jordan Center was loud once again. Penn State held a 55-51 advantage at the under-twelve timeout.

Mingo and Tyson traded buckets after the timeout as the game got chippy on both sides of the floor. Rhoades let the officials hear it on multiple occasions throughout the afternoon, but it intensified with the Gophers’ comeback.

Mingo brought the house down with an and-one after a crucial stop on the defensive end of the floor, and Penn State was leading 60-55. Durkin found the open corner for Minnesota and drilled another 3-pointer, but once again Mingo countered with his own triple.

Mingo with a hand in his face!pic.twitter.com/y5mEXz2GeG

— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 1, 2026

Stewart showed off his touch with a tough reverse layup to extend the lead for the blue and white after an unsuccessful Minnesota challenge on an out-of-bounds play. After another media timeout, the Nittany Lions forced a Gopher turnover, and Dilione reached 21 points at the other end of the court. Dilione knocked down another, and Penn State was in the middle of a 9-0 scoring run.

Tyson stopped the line with two free throws, but Penn State still led 69-60. Both teams missed on their ensuing possessions as the game approached less than five minutes to play. Reed stopped the scoring drought with a turnaround jumper. Tunca fouled Tyson to send the game to the final media timeout with Penn State up 71-61.

Mingo and Tyson both went to the line out of timeout. Reynolds converted an and-one, and the lead was down to five. After a Penn State turnover, Garyson Grove made a transition layup, and it was a one-possession game just like that. After a Rhoades timeout, the Nittany Lions could not handle the Minnesota pressure and committed another costly turnover.

Tyson made two more free throws, and the lead was down to one. Dilione responded with a layup with two minutes remaining, but Reynolds converted on the other end. After a Dilione missed 3-pointer, Mingo went to the deck for a jump ball, and Penn State held possession, leading 73-72 with 1:07 left.

Mingo took matters into his own hands and went to the rim for a reverse layup, and Minnesota called another timeout. Reynolds converted another layup, and Penn State turned it over against the pressure. Mingo fouled Reynolds, holding onto a one-point lead. Reynolds knocked down one at the line, and it was tied with 25 seconds left.

Mingo called game on the final possession with an impressive move in the paint with one second left in the game to give the Nittany Lions a 77-75 victory.

The highest-rated recruit in Penn State history. pic.twitter.com/3inblfkocK

— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 1, 2026

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions’ defense looked much better on Sunday. A strong first-half performance propelled Penn State to a double-digit lead at the break.
• Freddie Dilione V and Josh Reed both had some of their best performances in the blue and white against the Gophers. When the team needed them most, the older guys showed up.
• At last, the Nittany Lions, after coming close in previous games and 10 straight losses in conference, have found their first Big Ten win.

What’s Next?

Penn State is back on the court at 6:30 p.m on Thursday, February 5, on the road at Michigan. The game will be broadcast on FS1.