The University of Florida men's basketball team left the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Saturday afternoon with its first 100-point game this season in the win over Georgia Southern, 100-68, improving its record to 6-2 on the season. With the victory also came a milestone for junior Matt Walsh as the guard shot his way into the 1,000-career point club in the first half. The Gators ended the contest with five players in double-figure scoring.
Walsh now joins fellow Gators David Lee and Anthony Roberson into the 1,000-point guild, making this the first time in three seasons that Florida head coach Billy Donovan has had three 1,000-point scorers on the team. The trio also led the team in the game, each nailing shots for Florida's first points on the board. Roberson and Walsh ended the game with 18 points each, the game high, while freshman Joakim Noah had a career day, making 3-of-4 from the floor and 8-of-9 free throws for 14 points. Lee added 14 points to the Florida board and grabbed four boards and five steals for UF.
Georgia Southern hung with the Gators over the first 20 minutes as UF grabbed seven offensive rebounds and turned them into nine points. The key to the first half were free throws, as the first 20 minutes ended with a combined tally of 26 team fouls, 13 belonging to each end of the court. Florida shot 84.2 percent from the line as opposed to Georgia Southerns' 50 percent. The Gators ended the half with a 13-point lead, 50-37.
The Gators maintained their lead in the second half, having its first double-digit run of the game beginning at the 12:06 mark when they went on a 11-0 stint, lasting 2:50. UF held the Eagles in the first two minutes after the break, and established a lead of over 21 points for the last nine minutes of the game. Florida shot 57.1 from the floor, outscoring GSU by 32 points at the final buzzer. The UF bench poured in 38 points and the Gators out-rebounded the Eagles, 41-33. Florida scored 27 points on GSU's 20 turnovers.
Other key players for the Orange and Blue were freshman Al Horford and Chris Richard. Horford, who saw his first career start, hit perfect on 5-of-5 from the floor for 10 points, snatched four rebounds and grabbed two steals. Richard had the game high in boards with eight and added six points, making 2-of-2 on the floor and both free throw chances. The Gators finished the game with a team tally of 12 steals and 41 boards.
Florida will return to the court on Wednesday, Dec. 22, as the Gators battle Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m., in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
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