Gophers head coach Ben Johnson has been imploring sophomore center Pharrel Payne to become an alpha dog.

Payne showed some teeth Thursday at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. His defensive efforts and key offensive buckets in the paint helped Minnesota to a 73-71 win over Michigan.

Minnesota (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) has won six straight, while Michigan (6-8, 1-2) has lost three in a row.

Payne’s four blocked shots and one steal in the second half helped keep the Wolverines at arm’s length, and the Cottage Grove native added 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

“He was a warrior, and when we needed it, he stepped up,” Johnson said of Payne on the KTLK postgame show. “He played with poise. He played with aggression. He had an edge to him. He had a step that was just — he just wasn’t going to be denied. That physical presence means so much to this team. When he is physical and he’s on 10, it just trickles down to everybody else.”

Minnesota had five players in double figures, with Mike Mitchell continuing his hot stretch with 18 points along with Elijah Hawkins (14), Dawson Garcia (13) and Josh Ola-Joseph (12).

Up two points with 25 seconds left, Hawkins missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Michigan missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds and a contested lay-up with one second left. Garcia grabbed the rebound to seal a game that had 11 lead changes and nine ties.

Minnesota went on a 7-0 run to make it a 47-47 game with 14 minutes left. The Gophers endured a three-minute scoring drought but had another 7-0 run to take a 56-53 lead with eight minutes left.

The Gophers’ first Big Ten game, at Ohio State on Dec. 3, was pretty much decided in the opening minutes of an 84-74 loss, but on Thursday, Minnesota remained steady in a less-than-imposing away venue and trailed 37-33 at the half.

“This was unlike Ohio State … we almost didn’t give ourselves a chance (against the Buckeyes) because we got down early and momentum was flipped from the start,” Johnson said. “Where this game, we were able to hang around in that first half and build confidence. I told them we are a second-half team. We’ve proven that.”

The best example of that is Minnesota’s comeback from a 17-point deficit to beat Nebraska, 76-65, on Dec. 6. The Gophers haven’t lost since the Ohio State defeat.

On Thursday, Minnesota struggled early from 3-point range, making only 3 of 13 for 23%. They were settling for many of the deep looks. Garcia and Cam Christie were both 0 for 3. But the Gophers made 7 of 11 (64%) in the second half, with Mitchell and Hawkins making multiple treys.

The U dealt with early foul trouble, with Braeden Carrington, who returned from a mental health break, and Isaiah Ihnen picking up two fouls apiece within the first eight minutes of the game. The Wolverines didn’t take much advantage of that.

Minnesota focused its defensive attention on Dug McDaniel. The sophomore point guard was averaging 19.0 points per game but was limited to five points on 1-of-4 shooting and three turnovers in the first half. He ended with only nine points.

Johnson’s first Big Ten win as head coach came at Michigan in December 2021, and he earned his eighth overall conference win across two-plus seasons on Thursday.

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Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia (3) drives as Michigan forward Will Tschetter defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)