Patterson was fouled again and iced the game with two more free throws for the Gophers, who ended the game on an 8-0 run.

“Just routine and reps,” Patterson said about his foul shooting. “It’s just me locking in and knowing what’s at stake.”

After trailing by 14 points in the first half, the Gophers got within 38-29 at halftime. They took their first lead of the game with a putback dunk from Mitchell with 7:16 to play.

As part of a 14-2 run that included 11 straight points, Patterson’s deep three-pointer made it 58-54 Gophers at 5:46 in the second half.

Femi Odukale had four of the U’s 10 steals, but he fouled behind the three-point line with 90 seconds left. Chibuzo Agbo hit all three free throws for a 66-61 Trojans lead, but they didn’t score again.

“I think the biggest thing was for our guys to take a deep breath and just relax,” Johnson said. “This is a good team. We knew that. Obviously, they’re good at home. This is a big game for both of us.”