Four takeaways for Gophers men's basketball from win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff

You wouldn't be able to tell that Jamison Battle and Braeden Carrington were arguably the two best shooters on the Gophers basketball team based on their numbers before Wednesday's 72-56 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Carrington, a freshman guard, was shooting 24.4% from three-point range. Battle, a junior forward, shot 31.8% from beyond the arc, the lowest in his career.

It was only a matter of time before the shots fell more consistently. Carrington and Battle combined for 38 points and 9-for-16 shooting from three to help the Gophers snap a five-game losing streak Wednesday.

"You just have to see the ball go in," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said. "This game they were able to establish a rhythm and get some easier looks early, which always helps."

Here are four takeaways from the Gophers' victory against Pine Bluff:

Hot shot freshman

Carrington finished with a team-high 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting Wednesday, including 4-for-7 from three and 6-for-6 on free throws in 29 minutes.

It was the highest scoring game for a Gophers freshman since Gabe Kalscheur's 24 points in the NCAA tournament win vs. Louisville on March 21, 2019.

The first player off the bench Wednesday, three minutes into the first half, Carrington didn't decide to take over until his team desperately needed a spark.

Pine Bluff tied the game 16-16 midway through the first half, but the Gophers broke the game open with a 20-5 run, including 11 straight points from Carrington. He finished with 13 points in the first half.

The former Park Center star and Minnesota's Mr. Basketball hit three straight threes in the first half, which matched what he made going 3-for-21 from beyond the arc in the previous four games.

"I'm not just going to shy away from shooting the ball," Carrington said. "That's probably the best aspect of my game is the three-point shot, so I'm not just going to stop shooting because I'm missing."

Battle and Garcia in sync

The Gophers were fortunate to have their schedule ease up after a four-game stretch against major conference opponents. And it was the ideal game to get their top two scorers playing well together.

Battle and Dawson Garcia must become a dynamic tandem if the Gophers are to compete in the Big Ten. They stuffed the stat sheet Wednesday with 32 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and five steals combined against Pine Bluff.

It started with Garcia being a facilitator early. The 6-11 forward finished with a career-high five assists, which included kicking the ball out to Battle for jumpers. He previously hadn't had more than two assists in a game this year.

Battle's confidence never wavered after a five-point game in Sunday's loss against Mississippi State. He had 18 points Wednesday, but three of his five three-pointers came in the second half.

Ball movement

The Gophers went on a 5 1/2-minute scoring drought in the first half against Pine Bluff, but their offense was still set up for more success than in previous games.

Ball movement was the key. Once the open shots started falling, Johnson's team ended up with a season-high 21 assists on 23 field goals. It was also the first time this season the Gophers reached double digits in three-pointers made going 12-for-27.

Six different players had assists but starting point guard Ta'Lon Cooper had eight assists and zero turnovers in 40 minutes.

"At the start of the game we were emphasizing playing inside and out," Carrington said. "And it really just opened up everything."

Teaching moments

Early in the game Wednesday, Johnson watched as a loose ball rolled in front of him on the sideline. Some Gophers players stood and watched, instead of diving onto the floor. They were subbed out immediately.

Similar teaching moments occurred throughout the game, especially with freshmen Jaden Henley (eight minutes), Pharrel Payne (12 minutes), and Joshua Ola-Joseph (10 minutes). They all had their playing time limited against Pine Bluff possibly to send a message about what Johnson expects moving forward.

The Gophers basically went with a six-man rotation in the second half that included only Carrington among their talented freshmen foursome, but they'll likely need more from the rest in Big Ten play.