Florida Gators
Stetson
Men's Hoops Dominates Stetson, 93-54
Thursday, December 9, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Three Gator basketball players reached double figures on Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, as Florida went on to defeat the Stetson Hatters, 93-54, to improve to 5-1 on the season. The Gators led from start to finish and dominated the Hatters throughout the game, ending the first half with a comfortable 54 points on the board against Stetson's 28. The Gators were 21-of-34 from the floor for an impressive 61.8 percent from the floor the first half and ended the game with a 57.8 shooting percentage.
This was Florida's 61st meeting with Stetson, and tonight's victory improved the Gators' lead in the series to 47-14. UF outscored its opponent, shooting 60 percent from beyond the arc against the Hatters' 16.7 percent in the first half. The key to the first-half lead was UF's success from beyond the three-point arc, as the hosts connected on 9-of-15 shots for a 60 percent clip.
Key players for UF were junior guard Matt Walsh, who sank 6-of-9 shots for 15 points and collected three rebounds. In fact, Walsh tallied five points in the first two and a half minutes into the game. Junior Anthony Roberson was 4-of-4 in treys during the first half and finished the game with 12 points and a team-high seven assists. Also pouring in 12 points for Florida, senior forward David Lee was 6-of-8 from the floor and added three rebounds.
Florida secured the victory early in the first half, by going on a 10-0 spurt and putting together three 8-0 runs. As a result, the Gators were ahead by 25 points with two minutes left until the break. Florida finished the half with nine threes, nailing three consecutive treys and five three-pointers within the first five minutes of play. This marked the second straight game where head coach Billy Donovan's squad had notched nine treys in the first half.
The Gators went on a 10-3 run against Stetson to seize control of the second half. UF forced 23 turnovers and turned the steals into 34 points on the scoreboard. Florida committed 12 turnovers, allowing the Hatters just nine points off their steals. In the paint, Florida scored 48 points, doubling Stetson who ended the night with 22.
Freshman Al Horford led the Gators tonight on the boards, grabbing five missed shots from the opponents. Horford added seven points and two assists. Freshman Corey Brewer grabbed four offensive rebounds and turned those into points with three baskets made and two assists. Florida center Adrian Moss shot 100 percent from the floor tonight, hitting all four of his shots for eight points.
Gator basketball will return to action as they face No. 14 Louisville (4-1) at home on Saturday, Dec. 11. Tip-off is slated for noon and will be carried live on ESPN.
-UF-
