Four takeaways from Gophers men's basketball victory vs. Central Michigan

The offensive numbers for the Gophers men's basketball team aren't jumping off the stat sheet, but Ben Johnson isn't concerned about scoring big without injured star Jamison Battle.

The Gophers (3-1) have been able to rely on their defense to win, most recently with Thursday's 68-60 victory against Central Michigan. They responded from a 19-point loss earlier in the week against DePaul at home.

The Chippewas, who shot only 28% in the second half, were the second opponent to be held under 35% shooting in a game this season.

"That's going to have to help us," Johnson said of his team's defensive ability. "Not only with identity but to win some games."

Here are four takeaways from the bounce back victory against Central Michigan:

Defensive adjustments

The Gophers weren't able to gain separation from Central Michigan (1-2) until they figured out how to slow down Kevin Miller, a Mid-American Conference all-preseason guard.

Miller was the best player on the court in the first half with 15 points and five rebounds. Most of his baskets were off dribble penetration with floaters or layups.

In the second half, the Gophers sprinkled in a zone defense to take away driving lanes. Miller went 2-for-10 from the floor. The Chippewas were also just 6-for-25 from three.

"Credit to our guys for just being locked in," Johnson said. "We talked in every timeout about staying focused and staying locked in. No mental errors. Just consume yourself with guarding."

Starting center Treyton Thompson, who had a season-best eight points in 13 minutes, was one of three Gophers players with at least two blocks, including Jaden Henley and Pharrel Payne. Six different players contributed to a season-high nine blocks.

Featured freshman

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound former Minnesota Mr. Basketball had the assignment of being matched up with Central Michigan's best scorers. He held his own while also producing 11 points, four rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes.

"He understands how to play," Johnson said. "Right when he got here this summer you could tell defensively, he wasn't a freshman with his presence, his feel and his court awareness. I was always comfortable with him defensively early more so with most freshmen."

Boarding blues

The Gophers led by as much as 19 points with seven minutes left in the second half, but the Chippewas outscored them 22-11 to end the game.

Giving up 22 offensive rebounds Thursday really hurt the Gophers being able to finish off possessions defensively. That also kept them from coming back in Monday's loss against DePaul, which picked up 20 offensive boards.

Things would be even worse right now if not for former walk-on turned starter Will Ramberg, who ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. Ramberg is six inches shorter than the U's top rebounder 6-11 Dawson Garcia (7.0).

Bottom line, Johnson knows it will be difficult to beat most teams giving them so many second chance point opportunities. Opponents are averaging 17.8 offensive boards per game, most among major conference teams.

Offensive identity

What will the identity of the Gophers be offensively when they get Battle back this season? A good guess is much of what you saw in the win against Central Michigan.

The Gophers outscored their opponent 30-26 in the paint, but they also shot 7-for-18 from three-point range. They had six different players make a three-pointer, including Carrington making 2-for-5 from deep.

Free throw shooting continues to be an issue, though. The Gophers, who are last in the Big Ten hitting just 54.3% from the foul line, were 15-for-27 on Thursday, including nine missed free throws in the second half.