Nashua's Ebuka Okorie has been off to quite a start at Stanford, as he led the Cardinal to a win Thursday night over Minnesota in the semis of the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs Calif. (Instagram photo)

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Nashua’s 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 freshmen. O’Korie played his high school age years at Cushing Academy and then transferred to Brewster Academy before heading to Stanford this year.

The Cardinal plays Saint Louis in the championship game today 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.