PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Ebuka Okorie scored 25 points, Benny Gealer hit two free throws with 5.3 seconds to play, and Stanford beat Minnesota 72-68 on Thursday night at the Acrisure Invitational.
The 6-foot-2 Okorie went into the game averaging 23.8 points per game, No. 6 nationally and No. 1 among freshman.
The Cardinal plays Saint Louis in the championship game Friday and Minnesota plays a consolation game against Santa Clara.
Gealer made 4 of 9 from 3-point range and finished with 14 points and five assists for Stanford (5-1). Chisom Okpara added 11 points and Aidan Cammann finished with nine points and seven rebounds
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota (4-3) with career-high 23 points and Cade Tyson added 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Crocker-Johnson scored nine points in a 15-7 spurt that gave Minnesota a one-point lead with 7:02 left in the game. Okpara answered with a basket on the end and Gealer followed with a 3 to make it 62-58 less than a minute later and the Cardinal led the rest of the way.
Isaac Asuma hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to a point with 10.5 seconds left but Gealer and Okorie each went 2 for 2 from the free-throw line from there to seal it.
The Golden Gophers made 23 of 45 (51%) from the field, but committed 14 turnovers, which Stanford converted into 27 points, and were minus-nine (17-8) on the offensive glass. The Cardinal, who shot 37% (25 of 67) overall, outscored Minnesota 18-11 in second-chance points.
Stanford: The Cardinals host Portland on Monday.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers return home to take on No. 25 Indiana on Wednesday.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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