Durkin scored 19 on 7-of-12 shooting for the Golden Gophers (8-5), while Crocker-Johnson was 6-of-14 and 4-of-8 from behind the arc for her 17 points and seven rebounds.
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Cade Tyson, who entered as the nation’s fifth-leading scorer at 22.8 points per game, finished with 12 points, scoring six in the final three minutes. He committed his fourth foul just 2:29 into the second period.
Eric Parnell led the Knights (3-10) with 17 points, hitting 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Taeshaud Jackson had 10 rebounds and was held scoreless while shooting 0 for 4, 0 for 2 from the free throw line.
There were five ties and five lead changes before the Golden Gophers took a 32-29 halftime lead. Parnell scored 14 points for the Knights in the first half.
The Golden Gophers used an 11-0 run from the end of the first half to the start of the second half, fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Durkin, to build a 12-point lead at the 15:04 mark. The lead never got back into single digits.
Next
Minnesota: Returns to Big Ten play Saturday at Northwestern.
Fairleigh Dickinson: Opens its Northeast Conference schedule Friday at Mercyhurst.