Minnesota Beats St. Thomas 76-62 at The Barn
Minnesota improves to 7-1 with a home win over St. Thomas in their first men's basketball meeting since 1934.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Basketball
Minnesota defeated St. Thomas 76-62 on Friday at The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, improving its record to 7-1. The matchup marks the first men's basketball meeting between the schools since December 11, 1934, a Minnesota win.
Why it matters
The two schools have met only seven times in men's basketball, and both head coaches cited scheduling difficulties as the reason such games are rare. For Minneapolis fans, the result gives the Gophers another early-season home win against a local rival.
Minnesota's 76-62 final margin of 14 points came in a meeting that had occurred only seven times before in men's basketball. The extraction provides no individual player scoring, rebounding or shooting figures for the game.
The players
Niko Medved
Niko Medved is Minnesota's head coach and was an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season, and he is a Minneapolis native whose hometown ties are part of the local interest in the program.
Johnny Tauer
Johnny Tauer is St. Thomas's head coach and has led the program since 2000, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches in the school's athletic history.
Isaac Asuma
Isaac Asuma is a junior guard for Minnesota who previously played college basketball at the University of Cincinnati.
The details
Minnesota played the game as a home matchup at The Barn on Friday, defeating St. Thomas 76-62. Minnesota junior guard Isaac Asuma, who previously played at the University of Cincinnati, was on the roster for the game, and Minnesota coach Niko Medved, an assistant during the 2006-07 season, led the team.
Timeline
December 11, 1934: Last prior men's basketball meeting between Minnesota and St. Thomas, a Minnesota win.
2025: St. Thomas completed Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.
November 13, 2026: Minnesota won 63-61 at Cincinnati, its most recent game before this matchup.
Season Trajectory
Minnesota's 7-1 start continues a season in which the Gophers have built early momentum with a road win at Cincinnati by 63-61 and this home victory. The rarity of meetings between Minnesota and St. Thomas, last played in 1934 and only seven times overall, makes the result a notable entry in the schools' shared basketball history.
Minnesota's 7-1 record gives the Gophers a stronger early-season profile for fans tracking standings and postseason positioning. Local fans can follow the team's continued home schedule at The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
The takeaway
Rare matchups between local rivals like Minnesota and St. Thomas carry extra weight because scheduling limits how often they happen. Each meeting becomes a notable piece of a shared history that stretches back to 1934.
Further reading
For more coverage of college hoops, see the Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Minnesota Daily.
