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Looking into Minnesota men’s basketball’s first-half struggles

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Looking into Minnesota men’s basketball’s first-half struggles


Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball started their last seven second halves down, going 3-4 in that stretch.

The Gophers trailed Michigan and Maryland at the half but were able to secure single-digit wins. Their next three against Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State all ended in losses before returning home to face Wisconsin in the Border Battle.

Head coach Ben Johnson was asked on Jan. 23 about the team’s mindset heading into the second half after their two-point loss to Wisconsin.

Playing with confidence and not on your heels, you can’t be afraid to fail, you can’t be afraid to miss shots, you can’t be afraid to play on the attack,” Johnson said.

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Their first-half losing streak came to an end on Saturday after an explosive offensive run tied the score against Northwestern.

Minnesota at Indiana 

The Assembly Hall is one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten and the Hoosiers proved that in dominating fashion.

During the first half, the Gophers shot 37.9% from the field and found themselves trailing 31-41 at halftime. The second half wasn’t much better for Minnesota, as they shot 40% from the field and 7.1% from three. 

Pharrel Payne led the Gophers with 17 points and five blocks, but big games from Mackenzie Mgbako (19 points), Kel’el Ware (17) and Malik Reneau (16) led Indiana to a 74-62 win.

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Minnesota versus Iowa

Once again, the Gophers were down at the half 29-32. Despite a huge 30-point game from junior forward Dawson Garcia, the Gophers only managed to shoot 43.3% from the field during the first half and 48.3% overall.

The Gophers struggled again from three, shooting 5 for 29 from the three-point line. The Hawkeyes had a good shooting first half but shot 60% in the second half to close out the match.

Minnesota gave up 18 more points in the paint than they scored (36-54) and ended up losing by single digits. 

Garcia’s 30 points was his second 30-point game of the season and second of his career. He had 36 points in a loss against Ohio State earlier in the year. 

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Minnesota at Michigan State 

The Gophers changed the trend a bit but trailed 34-37 at the half. However, the first half was much better than the second. 

Minnesota shot 47.8% from the field and 45.5% from three in the first half but  shot only 38.5% from the field in the second half. Michigan State would end up beating the Gophers 76-66.

Michigan State outplayed Minnesota inside, outscoring them in the paint 44-12. Points off turnovers were also a problem for the Gophers. They gave up 21 points off turnovers while scoring six for themselves.

Minnesota’s transitions lacked any significant offensive production, only contributing two points to their final score compared to Michigan State’s 17 points.

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Garcia finished the game leading all scorers with 22 points. Junior guard Mike Mitchell Jr. was the only other Gopher in double digits with 12 points.

Minnesota versus No. 13 Wisconsin

Guard Elijah Hawkins returned to play in the Border Battle matchup after missing the previous game due to an ankle injury. He finished the game with 16 points and nine assists.

Minnesota’s shot selection nearly took them out of the game. They shot 31% from the field in the first half while the Badgers made 50% of their attempts. However, with an energetic third quarter, the Gophers fought back from being down 24-34 in the first to make it a close game. 

The poor free throw shooting performance from Minnesota, who shot only 38.5% from the line, did not put them out of reach of winning, but it made the end of the game harder than needed. 

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The Gophers were given an opportunity for a make-one-miss-one free-throw attempt to try to tie the game with a few seconds left. Mitchell Jr. made the first and missed the second perfectly, grabbing his rebound and getting a great look at a mid-range jump shot, but it did not fall.

Johnson did not seem too put off by the loss, knowing the Gophers played a great game and kept themselves in it.

“Mike read it great, had a great miss, and you have a great opportunity to make it, and I think at some point here soon the basketball gods are going to finally shine down on us because they did everything but go in,” Johnson said after the game.

Johnson added his players have done everything asked of them and are hoping for “a little luck” to come their way. 

Garcia had a down game, scoring only 10 points and making four of his 10 attempts. Garcia said he understands it was just one game.

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“We just got to move forward and just got to finish the job,” Garcia said after the loss.

Minnesota at Penn State

The Gophers’ win in State College, Pennsylvania, was their first since 2019, but it did not come without adversity. The Gophers trailed once again at the half after a double-digit run from the Nittany Lions.

According to Johnson, forward Joshua Ola-Joseph has been a vocal leader in the locker room despite being a sophomore. 

“If I see a mistake, I’m getting on a teammate or hyping a teammate up,” Ola-Joseph said on Friday. “Just having energy and people follow along with that.” 

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Minnesota trailed 31-45 coming into the second half, but the energy shifted for the Gophers. Big games from Garcia (22 points) and Cam Christie (17) helped the Gophers win the game 83-74.

The defense was an additional significant contributing factor to snapping Minnesota’s brief losing streak. They held Penn State to 35.7% shooting in the second half while shooting 53.8% themselves.

Minnesota versus Northwestern

Northwestern started Big Ten play with No.1 ranked Purdue and won 92-88 in overtime. Their only other ranked win came on Jan. 24 against then-ranked No. 10 Illinois in overtime.

The Wildcats came into the game against Minnesota ranked outside the top 25, receiving 32 votes in the most recent Associated Press poll.

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The Gophers broke their seven-game streak of being down at the half with a 10-point run in the final two minutes to tie the score at 27 points. Wildcat guard Boo Buie made two free throws with four seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Garcia took over, scoring eight straight points after the three-minute mark. He finished the game with 20 points while Christie added 15 points with multiple threes in the second half.

Minnesota won 75-66, allowing five points in overtime. They moved to an even 5-5 in conference play and 14-7 overall with the win. Their next match will be a late-night rematch at home next Tuesday against Michigan State.



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Minneapolis, MN

Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis

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Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis


Police say two people were hurt and one other man died.

A homicide investigation is underway in Minneapolis after a shooting early Friday morning killed one man and hurt two others.

Minneapolis police were called to the area of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue at around 12:30 a.m.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS cameras caught more than 65 evidence markers scattered across the ground in the area and shattered glass at a bus shelter. Some nearby businesses also appeared to have some damage.

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Minneapolis police are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and who was involved but investigators say first responders found the three men suffering from gunshot wounds.

One injured man is in his 40s, the other in his 50s, police say. Both were taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The third man died at the scene. His name and age haven’t yet been publicly released.

Police say early information suggests the men were on a sidewalk when at least one person opened fire, then fled in a vehicle.

So far, no arrests have been made.

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Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police at 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail or email policetips@minneapolismn.gov.

“This is a tragic and deeply disturbing act of violence that has taken a life, and left others seriously injured,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said. “This kind of violence is unacceptable, and we are committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”

Minneapolis police investigating alleyway shooting near East Franklin Avenue

It comes less than 30 hours after another serious shooting along East Franklin Avenue, just a half-mile west of Friday’s scene. That incident left a man hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening gunshot wound. No arrests have been announced in that case either.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is still working to learn more about this shooting. Stay with KSTP-TV for the latest updates on air and on the KSTP app.

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Minneapolis, MN

A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit

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A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers alongside Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke out Thursday about alleged excessive force against people protesting or monitoring the enforcement surge in Minnesota.

Georgia Savageford, who introduced herself as Wynnie at a news conference, said she was inside an officer’s vehicle when she saw federal agents shoot Pretti.

“That day has changed me forever,” she said. “The trauma will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I will never be the same.”

Savageford said she had been legally observing the actions of federal officers in Minneapolis ever since the shooting death of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7. She said she was doing so again on the morning of Jan. 24 when an agent pushed her twice and caused her to fall.

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“As I was going down, three agents proceeded to tackle me and drag me face-down into the middle of the street. They knelt on my back, twisted my arms and my legs to the ground, and handcuffed me. The cuffs were so tight I lost feeling in my hands, which resulted in temporary nerve damage,” she recounted.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond Thursday to emails seeking comment. Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the killings.

Savageford said Pretti recorded video of her arrest and yelled at agents to leave her alone.

She said the officers put her in the back of a vehicle, from which she saw agents shoot and kill Pretti on the other side of the street.

“At that moment, I thought I was going to die too. I pleaded with the agents to understand why another life was taken, and to not take mine,” she said.

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She added that they told her to shut up and to stop being hysterical. She said they then took her to an ICE holding facility where she was held for 12 hours in a cold cell without ready access to food, water or the bathroom until she was released without being charged.

“I did not know him, but I knew he had my back,” she said of Pretti. “I know the kind of heart he had. One that loves and protects without limits.”

Savageford shared her story at a news conference where civil rights attorney John Burris, of Oakland, California, and other lawyers laid out how they’re paving the way for potential class-action lawsuits over alleged excessive force used against protesters and monitors.

Burris, who specializes in police misconduct, helped win an $11 million settlement against the Oakland Police Department in 2003, and helped win a civil jury verdict of $3.8 million for the late motorist Rodney King, who was beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991.

He said he and his colleagues have filed complaints with federal agencies involved in the Minnesota enforcement surge on behalf of 10 people, including Savageford, as the first step in a process that’s likely to lead to a larger class-action lawsuit.

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“We have many others that are under investigation that have not completed the process. But I thought it was important for us to start this process now. Put the government on notice that we’re here,” Burris said.



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Minneapolis, MN

Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor

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Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor


A fifth grader from Minneapolis received the Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Victor Greenawalt jumped in front of his friend during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Weston Halsne told local station KARE 11 that Greenawalt saved his life.

“It was really scary,” Halsne told KARE 11. “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me. But he got hit.”

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Two students were killed and several were injured after a shooter opened fire through the windows of the church last year. The shooter died on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Congressional Medal Society said in a statement that Greenawalt showed “extraordinary bravery far beyond his years.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 3: Flowers line a pathway to Annunciation Catholic Church as U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance visit to pay their respects to victims of the shooting there on September 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting left two students dead and many more wounded. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski-Pool/Getty Images)

“Instinctively, Victor protected a classmate with his own body, directly saving their life during the attack,” the society said in a written statement. “His courage and selflessness became a powerful symbol of hope and humanity for a community in crisis.”

Greenawalt was hospitalized following the shooting, according to a verified GoFundMe page. His sister was also injured.

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He flew to Washington with his family on Wednesday to accept the award.

Greeenawalt met with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., while on Capitol Hill. The ceremony also included a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery.

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He received the Young Hero award, which honors individuals age 17 or younger for their courage.

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