Minnesota erased a five-point deficit over the final 1 minute, 31 seconds to beat Southern Cal, 69-66, on Saturday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

Chibuzo Agbo hit three free throws to give the Trojans a 66-61 lead but never scored again. Frank Mitchell scored on a layup and a tip-in to pull the Gophers within a point, after which the Gophers forced a pair of turnovers, one a steal by teammate Dawson Garcia.

Luc’Eye Patterson made 4 of 4 free throws down the stretch as the Gophers (13-12 overall, 5-9 Big Ten) finished the game on an 8-0 run to win for the fifth time in nine games and inched closer to earning the last available slot in the season-ending conference tournament.

Patterson was 11 for 13 from the line.

“I feel like I locked in at the right time,” Patterson said. “Those were some big free throws, and I’m just proud of myself.”

Minnesota’s Frank Mitchell after scoring 18 points with a game-high 12 rebounds in the Gophers’ 69-66 victory at Southern Cal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Galen Center in Los Angeles. Mitchell scored four points as Minnesota ended the game on an 8-0 run. (Brad Rempel / Gophers Athletics)

The win moved Minnesota into 14th place in the 18-team Big Ten. The top 15 teams will go to the tournament March 12-16 in Indianapolis.

The Gophers trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, and were down 38-29 at intermission.

“I felt like they did a good job of keeping it under 10 in the first half, with me sitting out with two fouls,” Patterson said. “We just never wavered. We came together as a team and then stayed together.”

Patterson finished with a game-high 25 points, and Mitchell added 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds — six on the offensive end. The Gophers outrebounded USC, 36-27.

Agbo and Wesley Yates III each scored 18 points for the Trojans (14-11, 6-8), who were held without a field goal for the final 3:59 of the game.

“Honestly, I think this team is very, very good at defense. That’s who we are,” said Mitchell, who came off the bench Saturday. “I just kind of embodied that, and our coaches have really emphasized that, and I think that allows us to come out and keep that intensity on the defensive end. It allows us to do what we do.”

Isaac Asuma added 12 points and three assists for the Gophers, who have six regular-season games remaining, starting with the second game of this two-game West Coast swing on Tuesday night at UCLA. Tip off is set for 9:30 p.m. CST.

“After getting the first one, we’re going to go in there with the ultimate confidence to go get another one,” Patterson said. “I’m just happy for our guys, and we know the next one’s going to be a real test. We need to be ready to get that one, too.”

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