How the Gophers men's basketball team responded after its first loss this season was an early sign of how Ben Johnson's players handle adversity.
The Gavitt Games loss earlier in the week snapped a 16-game nonconference home win streak, but the Gophers bounced back with a 68-60 win Thursday night against Central Michigan in front of 8,096 fans at Williams Arena.
Johnson easily could've made changes to his starting lineup after Monday's 69-53 loss against DePaul at the Barn, but he stuck with the same starters for a fourth straight game.
The Gophers (3-1) led just 31-25 at halftime after nine turnovers in the first half, but they had their most impressive defensive outing and Dawson Garcia led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Chippewas (1-2) were held to 31% shooting from the field, including 6-for-26 from three-point range.
"I'm not really worried about offense right now," Johnson said. "I think we can be really sound defensively. As we continue to go along in the year, hopefully we'll be able to rely on that."
To start the season, Johnson has relied heavily on Garcia, who leads the team with 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The Gophers were averaging just 42.1 points with their starting lineup through three games, lowest in the Big Ten.
But Jamison Battle, an All-Big Ten preseason forward, could make his season debut as soon as Monday's SoCal Challenge opener against Cal Baptist after making progress recovering from foot surgery.
And the Gophers have learned a lot about their team in Battle's absence. They have some young players who are growing with each game, including Minnesota Mr. Basketball Braeden Carrington scoring his first baskets in maroon and gold.
The former Park Center star regrouped after going scoreless in his season debut against DePaul coming off an ankle injury. Carrington looked much more comfortable in his second appearance with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals Thursday.
In the second half, Carrington's three-pointer gave the Gophers their biggest lead at 57-38 around the seven-minute mark.
"It felt great," Carrington said. "It was a tough first game. I had my whole team behind me, and they kept telling me to shoot the ball. Obviously, I was going to do that. To see it go in was kind of a relief."
The Gophers need freshman Jaden Henley and Carrington to mature quickly in the backcourt alongside transfer Ta'Lon Cooper, who finished with 12 points and eight assists.
For the second straight game, the Gophers were outrebounded but also gave up 22 offensive rebounds against Central Michigan after allowing 20 vs. DePaul.
What Johnson's players lack in rebounding they make up for with hustle and teamwork defensively. When the Gophers switched from man-to-man defense to zone Thursday there was enough communication to stay disciplined.
The Chippewas' leading scorer Kevin Miller had 19 points, but he only scored four in the second half on 2-for-10 shooting from the field.
Sophomore center Treyton Thompson nearly doubled his scoring Thursday from the first three games combined with eight points and two blocks, including a team-high six points in the first half.
How this team will look when Battle returns is exciting for the Gophers, who were able to avoid having their first loss lead to another letdown.
"I feel like we're a really good defensive team," freshman Joshua Ola-Joseph said. "It's just us grabbing rebounds. I feel like if we execute that part we can be a really [high-level] defensive team."
