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As Gopher fans boo, Niko Medved takes high road


Many Gophers fans had no problem sharing their opinion of the officiating late in Friday’s 70-69 overtime loss to Southern California at Williams Arena.

Boos echoed inside The Barn many times down the stretch of the Big Ten game, but especially when Langston Reynolds was whistled for a foul call on Chad Baker-Mazara with 10 seconds left in overtime. Reynolds couldn’t believe it; Baker-Mazara went to the line and made the game-tying and game-winning free throws.

Head coach Niko Medved, however, didn’t take that call as a scapegoat and primarily looked inward at his own squad’s defense on that final play.

“I got to see it (again),” he said postgame. “I don’t know. It was probably tough, but again, I’d go back to — they set a high ball screen for him, and we needed to show and try to keep him out of the lane.”

That clear path presented to Baker-Marazar, who had 29 points Friday, was a deciding factor Medved pointed out.

“Sometimes those things happen fast,” Medved said. “I thought we had done a good job in the second half of doing that. In that critical situation, we needed to have somebody else (on the screen and) not let him get downhill in the paint. (Baker-Mazara) worked himself to the line, and he’s really good at it.”

After Cade Tyson’s game-winning shot missed with one second left, Baker-Mazara did a post-game interview with Big Ten Network. And one fan in the rafters of the Barn chanted at him: “Flopper!”

That wasn’t the only call the announced crowd of 9,404 took issue with. Less than four minutes left in regulation, Gophers guard Isaac Asuma was in the middle of another questionable call. One official had him drawing a jump ball with Ezra Asura; the other had a personal foul on Asuma.

They settled on a foul on Ausma. It was his fifth foul, and he was done for the game.

“Isaac fouling out at the end really hurt us,” Medved said. “Another guy who can make a shot. I thought that was a big play.”

If Medved wouldn’t publicly share his view on the officiating in the postgame news conference, he certainly was in the ears of the three-man officiating crew during Friday’s game.

Even shorter

Due to early foul trouble, the Gophers had to play without Jaylen Crocker-Johnson for the final 10 minutes of the first half and Langston Reynolds for the final eight. Then sans Asuma for the final nine of regulation and OT.

That’s on top of two starters — guard Chansey Willis and center Robert Vaihola — out for the season with injuries.

It put even more on the shoulders of Cade Tyson and Bobby Durkin. They both played 45 minutes, and Tyson was clearly tired at the end. It showed in game-winning shot attempts at the end of the second half and the extra session.

Musselman returns

USC coach Eric Musselman said Friday was his first trip back at The Barn since he was 11 years old in 1975 and his father Bill Musselman was in his final year as the Gophers’ head coach.

“I’m sure it was really cool for him, too, knowing the history of his dad, getting an opportuntity to be back here and coach in the Big Ten,” Medved said.

Scheme shift?

The Trojans decided to not closely guard Reynolds nor Grayson Grove outside the arc, not respecting them as 3-point shooters and opting to try to take away Minnesota’s desire to get open shots in the paint off back cuts.

Musselman even joked to KSTP-TV that his mom pointed out that he can’t let the U beat the Trojans that way.

The Gophers could see more of that sagging defensive look in its remaining 15 Big Ten games.

Briefly

Wisconsin will be riding high when it comes to Minneapolis for Tuesday’s game. The Badgers upset second-ranked Michigan 91-88 in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon. … With Friday’s loss, Minnesota squandered a chance to start Big Ten play with a 4-1 record for the first time since the 2008-09 season. … Gophers incoming freshman guard Cedric Tomes poured in 50 points in East Ridge’s 86-79 win over Totino-Grace a week ago. “That was fun to see,” Medved said. “Michael Jordan had the ‘double nickel,’ so I don’t know what you call the 50. That’s impressive. Ced can really score. He’s quick. He’s confident.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 09: Chad Baker-Mazara #4 of the Southern California Trojans drives to the basket against Isaac Asuma #1 and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson #5 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half at Williams Arena on January 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trojans defeated the Golden Gophers 70-69 in overtime. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 09: Chad Baker-Mazara #4 of the Southern California Trojans drives to the basket against Isaac Asuma #1 and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson #5 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half at Williams Arena on January 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trojans defeated the Golden Gophers 70-69 in overtime. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)



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WWII C-49J Christmas Light Flight Over Fort Worth

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WWII C-49J Christmas Light Flight Over Fort Worth



Journalism has its perks. I’ve floated in a hot air balloon over Albuquerque, NM, and even taken a ride in a 1932 Ford tri-motor, the kind of plane that looks like it could have starred in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Last week, I added another feather to that cap, a WWII C-47 at Meacham International Airport for the Christmas Light Flight, a decade-long annual tradition over Fort Worth and Arlington.

The plane itself is a sight, a vintage C-49J, a WWII military transport based on the iconic Douglas DC-3, built to carry troops and executives during the Second World War. But the real draw isn’t the interior lights strung up for the holidays; it’s the view from above as the aircraft glides over neighborhoods lit up in festive splendor. From the city centers of Fort Worth to Arlington’s interlocking streets, the lights shimmer like a terrestrial constellation.

Karolina Marek, the plane’s social media manager and crew chief, guided me through the experience with a mix of history and reverence. This plane has been through a lot. Restored by Greatest Generation Aircraft around 2003, the fuselage, radio room, and interiors were returned to their period-accurate glory. A navigation dome on top of the plane served as the original GPS, a celestial guide for pilots using the stars to navigate.

“The plane was a troop carrier and executive transport,” Marek explains. “It doesn’t have a cargo door, which is what you’d see on other variants. Everything here is for the people who rode in it. And yes, it’s restored, period-accurate down to the last rivet.”

The C-47 is rare, only 138 of this specific C-49 variant were ever made, and finding parts for its 1820 Cyclone engines is no small feat. Volunteers of Greatest Generation Aircraft keep it airborne, ensuring the legacy of WWII veterans lives on. Marek describes the maintenance as “strict,” with inspections twice a year to adhere to regulations. “All the money from ticket sales goes straight into keeping this aircraft flying,” she says. “Fuel, oil, parts, everything. It’s a nonprofit mission, preserving history and honoring the men who served.”

The Christmas Light Flight has been a Fort Worth tradition for a decade. “It started because we wanted people to experience the city from above during the holidays,” Marek says. “The spirit is unmatchable, flying on a vintage aircraft over Christmas lights, it’s that nostalgia everyone loves.” The flight path circles downtown Fort Worth, then arcs over Arlington, giving passengers a bird’s-eye view of neighborhoods transformed by holiday cheer.

Greatest Generation Aircraft doesn’t present itself like a museum piece under glass. It feels more like a working memory. Founded in 2008 by eight men who believed that forgetting was the greater risk, the organization has grown into a volunteer-driven effort fueled by grease-stained hands and long weekends at the Vintage Flying Museum. One of the most arresting details isn’t visible from the tarmac at all. Veterans who once flew or maintained these aircraft signed their names inside the fuselage. Many of them are gone now. Their handwriting remains, pressed into aluminum, turning a short sightseeing flight into something closer to a conversation across time.

Every weekend, volunteers converge at the Vintage Flying Museum to maintain aircraft and prepare for flights, airshows, parades, and even parachute jump operations. “Warbirds are an expensive passion,” Marek admits, “but every part, every hour spent maintaining these planes, is worth it to honor those who fought for our freedom.”

Flying in this C-47, it’s impossible not to feel the soul Marek describes. From the comfort of modern seats, a far cry from the wooden benches soldiers once endured, the plane carries you not just through the night sky, but through history itself.

“The spirit of this airplane is special,” Marek says. “Out of all the planes I’ve flown, she’s my all-time favorite. She has a soul.”

December 16, 2025

11:58 AM





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