At the Buzzer: Florida 87, Charlotte 46 (Instant Analysis)
Saturday, December 17, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators defeated the 49ers in their latest trip to the Orange Bowl Classic.
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 87, CHARLOTTE 46
WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators wasted no time knocking out the overmatched and significantly undersized 49ers in Sunrise, Fla. An early 10-point run did the trick, as UF raced to a 26-point halftime lead and rang up its most lopsided victory in 18 trips to the Orange Bowl Classic at the BB&T Center. Junior forward Devin Robinson scored 15 points on 5-for-9 from the floor and grabbed nine rebounds on his way to being named the event's Most Outstanding Player. Backup forward Canyon Barry led all scorers with 16 points, thanks to 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. The game was over by intermission, as the Gators shot 53 percent through the first 20 minutes and held the 49ers -- with no starters over 6-foot-7 -- to just 6-for-23 from the floor, with a 23-10 edge on the boards and 24-4 scoring advantage in the paint, as well.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF won its seventh straight in the OBC event, while defeating another mid-major foe. The Gators were able to get some really good minutes from some the younger, lesser-used players in their rotation -- freshman guard Eric Hester scored seven points -- which was a plus with the start of Southeastern Conference less than two weeks out.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sophomore Kevarrius Hayes got his first start of the season, replacing junior John Egbunu, who injured his hamstring earlier in the week. Hayes scored the game's first basket on a post move and UF's third basket on an elbow jumper on his way to finishing with nine points and five rebounds in a season-high 21 minutes.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Of UNCC's six first-half field goals, only three were 2-point baskets. The 49ers, in fact, did not convert their first 2-pointer until the 3:45 mark of the opening period. The final 41-point margin bested UF's previous largest in the OBC, a 29-point defeat of Winthrop in 2008. Florida's 87 points were the most ever scored by an OBC team in regulation.
UP NEXT: After 11 games and eight different sites (none of them in Gainesville), the Gators (8-3) will enter their sparkling new home, Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, to bask in the glory of its $64.5 million renovation. The opponent for the Wednesday night grand reopening will be Arkansas-Little Rock (9-2), which won the Sun Belt Conference last season and made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament as a 14-seed by shocking No. 3-seed Purdue in first-round play. The Trojans face Tulsa on Monday night before heading to town.
FLORIDA 87, CHARLOTTE 46
WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators wasted no time knocking out the overmatched and significantly undersized 49ers in Sunrise, Fla. An early 10-point run did the trick, as UF raced to a 26-point halftime lead and rang up its most lopsided victory in 18 trips to the Orange Bowl Classic at the BB&T Center. Junior forward Devin Robinson scored 15 points on 5-for-9 from the floor and grabbed nine rebounds on his way to being named the event's Most Outstanding Player. Backup forward Canyon Barry led all scorers with 16 points, thanks to 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. The game was over by intermission, as the Gators shot 53 percent through the first 20 minutes and held the 49ers -- with no starters over 6-foot-7 -- to just 6-for-23 from the floor, with a 23-10 edge on the boards and 24-4 scoring advantage in the paint, as well.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF won its seventh straight in the OBC event, while defeating another mid-major foe. The Gators were able to get some really good minutes from some the younger, lesser-used players in their rotation -- freshman guard Eric Hester scored seven points -- which was a plus with the start of Southeastern Conference less than two weeks out.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sophomore Kevarrius Hayes got his first start of the season, replacing junior John Egbunu, who injured his hamstring earlier in the week. Hayes scored the game's first basket on a post move and UF's third basket on an elbow jumper on his way to finishing with nine points and five rebounds in a season-high 21 minutes.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Of UNCC's six first-half field goals, only three were 2-point baskets. The 49ers, in fact, did not convert their first 2-pointer until the 3:45 mark of the opening period. The final 41-point margin bested UF's previous largest in the OBC, a 29-point defeat of Winthrop in 2008. Florida's 87 points were the most ever scored by an OBC team in regulation.
UP NEXT: After 11 games and eight different sites (none of them in Gainesville), the Gators (8-3) will enter their sparkling new home, Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, to bask in the glory of its $64.5 million renovation. The opponent for the Wednesday night grand reopening will be Arkansas-Little Rock (9-2), which won the Sun Belt Conference last season and made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament as a 14-seed by shocking No. 3-seed Purdue in first-round play. The Trojans face Tulsa on Monday night before heading to town.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballTodd Golden Media Availability 11-13-25
Thursday, November 13
Florida Men's Basketball | Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh Post Double-Doubles
Thursday, November 13
Florida Men's Basketball | Players Postgame Press Conference | Florida State
Wednesday, November 12
Florida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Postgame Press Conference | Florida State
Wednesday, November 12
