Elliott Eliason had 12 points and 13 rebounds to help Minnesota muscle up and beat the 11th-ranked Buckeyes 63-53 Thursday night, a rare third loss in a row for Ohio State.
DeAndre Mathieu had 13 points, five assists and three steals for the Gophers (14-4, 3-2 Big Ten), who gave Richard Pitino his first signature win at Minnesota.
LaQuinton Ross scored 22 points for the Buckeyes (15-3, 2-3), on a three-game losing streak for the first time in almost five years.