At the Buzzer: Florida 94, Tampa 57 (Instant Analysis)
Sunday, November 5, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators made their 2017-18 O'Dome debut Sunday, albeit in a preseason contest.
AT THE BUZZER
SCORE 94, SCORE 57
WHAT HAPPENED: The eighth-ranked Gators got out early and scored often on their way to an easy defeat of the Division II Spartans in their final preseason tuneup of the 2017-18 season. Junior swingman Jalen Hudson, like he did four days earlier in the exhibition win at Jacksonville U, led his team in scoring. The Virginia Tech transfer went for 18 points, including 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. Junior KeVaughn Allen, moving from shooting guard to make his first career start at the point with Chris Chiozza sidelined due to a shoulder injury, scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and added four assists. Third-year sophomore Keith Stone went for 12 points and six rebounds. All 10 Florida players that suited up for the game scored at least six points.
WHAT IT MEANS: Florida overwhelmed Tampa on both ends of the floor, but Mike White won't let his team get too excited about pummeling an overmatched D-11 foe. The Gators are very, very talented on offense, and despite holding the Spartans to 34 shooting from the floor -- including 9-for-35 overall in the first half, plus 0-for-13 from deep -- everyone on the UF bench understands they're a long, long way from where they need to be on defense.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: While Allen started and has been viewed as the backup point guard for this team for months, freshman Michael Okauru, the 6-3, 180-pounder from Raleigh, N.C., was a point guard by definition when he signed with the Gators last spring. Okauru, though, didn't do much play-making for his teammates in the first half, but rather made some nice moves for himself in going 4-for-4 from the floor on his way to nine points in just eight minutes. Okauru finished with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and one turnover.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: UF had a 15-point first-half cushion when it went on a tear of 22 consecutive points to go from a 29-14 cushion to 51-14.
UP NEXT: With their two exhibitions games in the books, the Gators can now turn attention to their 2017-18 season opener, set for Nov. 13 against Gardner-Webb. The Runnin' Bulldogs play out of the Big South Conference and open their season Friday at Miami. G-WU returns two starters from a squad that went 19-14 last season, including 11-7 in league play.
