Minnesota Golden Gophers Suffer Another Close Loss to Maryland

Head coach Niko Medved laments late turnovers, paint struggles, and thin depth in 67-62 defeat

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Minnesota Golden Gophers suffered their eighth loss in their last nine games, falling 67-62 to the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. Head coach Niko Medved acknowledged the team's familiar struggles with late turnovers, paint dominance by the opponent, and lack of bench depth as factors in the defeat.

Why it matters

The loss continues a frustrating stretch for the Golden Gophers, who have struggled to close out close games throughout the season despite playing with an edge. Minnesota's narrow margin for error highlights the challenges the team faces in the highly competitive Big Ten conference.

The details

Minnesota led for most of the game but was held scoreless over the final three and a half minutes, allowing Maryland to close on a 7-0 run. Medved cited critical late turnovers and the Gophers' inability to finish at the rim, where they were outscored 28-10 in the paint, as key factors in the defeat. Minnesota's lack of bench production, with just 6 points from reserves compared to 29 for Maryland, also proved costly.

  • The loss was Minnesota's eighth in their last nine games, with a 76-73 upset of No. 10 Michigan State as their only win in the last month.
  • The Gophers will have almost a week off before returning to the court next Saturday in Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies.

The players

Niko Medved

The head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team.

Grayson Grove

A Minnesota Golden Gophers player who scored 4 points in 13 minutes of play.

Kai Shinholster

A Minnesota Golden Gophers player who scored 2 points in 9 minutes of play.

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What they’re saying

“It's kind of the same movie. We just had to find a way to get a few more stops down the stretch, and we still would have found a way to get out of here with a win, and we just couldn't.”

— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers (on3.com)

“Just too many critical turnovers there down the stretch when we maybe had a chance to gain an advantage.”

— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers (on3.com)

“Just didn't do a good enough job of helping each other. I just thought we were really tentative at the rim.”

— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers (on3.com)

What’s next

The Gophers will have almost a week off before returning to the court next Saturday in Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies.

The takeaway

This loss continues a frustrating stretch for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who have struggled to close out close games throughout the season despite playing with an edge. The team's narrow margin for error and lack of depth have been recurring issues that have plagued them in the highly competitive Big Ten conference.