UF Bench to Rescue in Comeback Win at Bama

Tuesday, January 10

Tuscaloosa, AL

9 PM

Florida Gators

Alabama

Redshirt freshman Keith Stone did most of his damage from the 3-point line on his way to 14 points Tuesday night at Alabama.

UF Bench to Rescue in Comeback Win at Bama

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

Box Score

Florida's reserves scored 41 points, led by forwards Keith Stone and Canyon Barry, to help the Gators rally on the road.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Florida Gators were rolling Tuesday night, up 18 late in the first half, on the road, and on the verge of a blowout. Or so it seemed.

Fifteen minutes later, Alabama had a six-point lead, was grabbing every rebound, getting to the free-throw line, and about to seize control. Or so it seemed.

Yeah, it was that kind of game. But what it ultimately became was a sixth straight win for the 23rd-ranked Gators, who got a huge collective lift from their bench, hung together when things looked grim, and stared down some serious Southeastern Conference road hardship to beat the Crimson Tide 80-67 at Coleman Coliseum.

On a night when leading scorer and reigning SEC Player of the Week KeVaughn Allen was blanketed by one of the league's best defensive teams, UF was carried by a four-man bench that scored 41 points (and actually outscored the five starters by two). Backup forward Keith Stone threw in 14 points and was perfect on a trio of 3-point shots, while reserve forward Canyon Barry had 13 points, including a dagger 3-ball late. On the other end of the floor, it was the Florida defense that stepped up down the stretch, holding the Crimson Tide to just six points and forcing five turnovers over the final 6 1/2 minutes.

"We stayed together as a team. We never thought we were going to lose the game," said senior point guard Kasey Hill, who along with his 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals was the steadying on-court influence that helped his teammates withstand the coming Tide. "Every huddle, we got closer and closer and just told ourselves we'd win the game."

When it was over, the Gators (13-3, 4-0) remained unbeaten in league play and even with sixth-ranked Kentucky at the top of the SEC standings.

"We were faced with adversity, but we all came together. Kasey pulled us together and talked to us and calmed us down," Stone said after ringing up his first double-figure scoring effort in six games; just the third of his young career. "Coach told us to run our stuff and just play basketball. That's what we did."

The game was knotted at 61 with 6:37 to play when the Gators went on a mini-run of 6-1, with all the points coming on free throws. That was significant, given Bama was in the midst of a dreadful 16-for-32 night from the line. UF never trailed again and opened things up with a 13-2 tear — fueled by some top-shelf defense — that came just after the Tide (9-6, 2-1) cut the lead to three with 4:30 remaining.

For the game, UF forced Alabama into 19 turnovers and converted those into 27 points. The Tide came into the game ranked second in the SEC in scoring defense (61.1 points per game) and field-goal percentage defense (.395). The Gators were just the fourth Bama opponent to hit 70 points and the first to reach 80.

"You have to play with poise [on the road]. You have to have composure and contributions from multiple guys. We did that. You have to credit our guys' maturity level," Florida coach Mike White said. "It's just big for us. Any time you go on the road in the SEC you're going to face adversity. You can say this about a few of our wins this season, [but] I'm not sure our guys would have been capable of winning a game like this last season. I'm proud of them."

Kasey Hill gets to the rim after UF forced one of Alabama's 19 turnovers that led to 27 points. Hill had five steals for the game. (Photo: Tripp Taylor/For UAA Communications).

Stone, forced into action due to foul trouble in the front court, hit a 3-pointer with just over five minutes go in the first half to give UF a 34-16 lead. At the time, the Gators were shooting 54 percent from the floor, but proceeded to make just four of their next 15 shots spanning the two halves.

Meanwhile, Bama closed the first period strong, mostly behind freshman forward Braxton Key (24 points). The UF lead was cut to seven at the break and was wiped out completely early in the second half due to some beastly post play and follow-slams from forward Donta Hall (12 points, 8 rebounds, 6-for-6 from the floor).

When Key hit two free throws at the 10:56 mark, the Tide had a 53-47 lead and all the momentum of a 24-point turnaround.

The Gators were undaunted.

"We were playing the right way," Hill said. "We'd gotten a couple bad calls, but we kept moving on to the next play. We just knew we had to get some stops."

And some baskets.

Then Stone hit a 3-ball. Then he drew a foul and knocked in a couple free throws to make it a one-point game. The Tide took it back out to three a couple times, but a layup by John Egbunu and Stone's third three in as many attempts gave the Gators a 61-59 edge at the 6:41 mark and reason to believe.

Not that they ever didn't.

"If one guys falls down, there's going to be someone right there to pick him up and take his spot," Stone said. "Every time."

Free throws by Dazon Ingram (8 points, 7 turnovers) tied the game at 61, but then Devin Robinson and Hill each hit a pair of their own — while Bama's Riley Norris was clanging two — and Stone hit another to push the Gators back out by five.

The late-game flurry that saw UF run away with the outcome mostly was played from a 1-3-1 defense with active, trapping hands at the top that helped the Gators get some steals, get out in transition and either score or get to the free-throw line.

Tide coach Avery Johnson looked at the stat sheet after the game and saw the job his defense did on Allen (UF's scoring leader finished with six points on 2-for-7 from the floor) and how his team beat up the Gators on the glass (37-30) and could only shrug at the turnovers that gave the visitors a third of their points.

"Our No. 1 point of emphasis was reducing and limiting their points off turnovers," Johnson said. "They're a team that knows what they're doing. A lot of those guys are the same guys we beat when we went to Florida last year. They came in with a mindset that they were going to have a sustainable effort."

From whoever was called upon.

The lead was seven with about a minute and a half to go when Stone picked up his dribble on the left wing of the floor, with the shot clock winding down. Through a waving defender's arms, Stone spotted Barry spotting up in the far corner. Stone reeled and fired a perfect skip pass through the defense that Barry caught in rhythm and drained for the 3 to give the Gators a 10-point cushion.

The starters on the bench cheered.

"It's all of us," Stone said. "We all can score, we all can play defense, and we all can go off on a given night."

They're faring pretty well in adverse conditions, too.