The Gophers men’s basketball team doesn’t look at its series of close wins over lower-major competition as flirting with disaster, but rather learning how to win with a new squad at the start of a season. Minnesota was pushed by Central Michigan on Monday but escaped with a 68-65 win at Williams Arena. It was too close for much comfort. Chippewas guard Jacobi Heady’s game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the front of the rim. The Gophers (5-1) were a 13-point favorite against Central Michigan, which had a KenPom ranking of 204 compared to Minnesota’s 83. The Chippewas (3-3) did, however, have a slimmer eight-point loss to No. 10 Marquette on Nov. 11. “We never apologize for getting a win — ugly or pretty,” head coach Ben Johnson said. “I think all this hopefully makes you battle tested.” Minnesota’s only loss was to North Texas on Nov. 13, but its KenPom ranking is 72 — now 10 spots ahead of Minnesota going into Monday. The U also trailed Omaha and Yale at the half this season and needed a half-court chuck to take the lead at the break against Cleveland State last Tuesday. “All due respect to our opponents, but we don’t want to be in close games early on. But at the end of the day, it’s giving us experience,” said Dawson Garcia, who had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. “We are a new team. Just continuing to gel and get things right down the stretch.” Lu’Cye Patterson was off to a slow shooting start to the season and knew he just needed to see a few go in. He finished with 19 points and made four 3-pointers, none more important than one that hit the iron, bounced high in the air before falling through the net to extend the lead with less than two minutes left. He was relieved on Monday. “Man, it was good, for sure,” Patterson said. “My coaches and my teammates, they always tell me it’s going to fall. They put that confidence in me, even in the struggles I had shooting early.” Garcia made four clutch free throws in the final minute to make it 66-61, but Drew Barbee came in cold off the bench and hit a 3-pointer to help cut it to 66-64. Garcia missed two of three more from the stripe, and Patterson missed one of two to allow the Chippewas chances to stay in the game before Heady’s heave. After missing its first five shots Monday — which continued a trend of slow starts in first halves — Minnesota used a 14-0 run to go up 14-4 with 12 minutes remaining. But the Gophers suffered a string of consecutive turnovers as part of Central Michigan’s 21-7 stretch to take a 25-21 lead. They were tied 32-32 at the half and remained close until the end. Minnesota shot 44% from the field and 37% from deep, both improvements on the season. But its 58% free throw shooting was below its already low average (64%) and allowed Central Michigan to hang around. Briefly Starting guard Mike Mitchell’s ankle has improved a lot in the past few days, and he is much closer to making a return to the court, Johnson shared Monday. But Mitchell suffered a bad sprain against Omaha on Nov. 9, and given his importance to the team, Johnson cautioned it might not be this week. Minnesota will play Wichita State in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando on Thursday and then either Florida or Wake Forest on Friday. The U returns to the Barn to play Bethune-Cookman on Sunday. Related Articles College Sports | Men’s basketball: Gophers need more transfers to get up to speed quickly College Sports | Gophers pick up big commitment from top 170 recruit Parker Jefferson College Sports | Gophers turn to true freshman Isaac Asuma to help finish off Cleveland State College Sports | Men’s basketball: Gophers overcome another slow start, outlast Yale College Sports | Gophers men’s basketball: Minnesota rallies after slow start but loses to North Texas State