Florida Gators
Florida State
Gators Down Seminoles in a Thrilling 74-66 Victory
Saturday, November 26, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Five Gators scored in double figures as the No. 14 Florida men's basketball team pushed its unblemished record to 5-0 (0-0) with a come-from-behind 74-66 win over in-state rival Florida State in front of 12,599 fans, the second-largest crowd in school history. Sophomore guard Taurean Green (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led all scorers with 15 points, all of which came from free throws, and also chipped in four assists and four rebounds Friday night at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Down 24-7 in the middle of the first half the Gators mounted a charge, powered by a 19-4 run. Freshman guard Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) sparked the comeback with a three-pointer, which was followed by a Joakim Noah (New York, N.Y.) dunk and a pair of free throws from Corey Brewer (Portland, Tenn.) to bring the first-half score to 24-14. Al Horford (Puerto Plata, D.R.) scored the next four Gator points on a tip-in and two shots from the charity stripe. Junior guard Lee Humphrey (Maryville, Tenn.) chipped in a three, while Hodge and Green combined for the next four to bring the Orange and Blue within two points. The Seminoles recorded a short run of their own just before the break, to take a 38-30 lead into the locker room at the half.
To start the second half Florida scored seven unanswered points to get within three before a 10-4 run, capped off with a dunk by Horford, tied the score at 47-all. The two teams traded shots until a late second-half UF rally put the game out of reach. Green contributed to the Gators' second-half charge, with a perfect 14-14 effort at the free throw line.
Horford tied his career high as he chipped in 14 points for the Gators, as well as nine rebounds and one block, while Brewer recorded 13 points and dished a game and career-high six assists. Humphrey added 11 points, nine of which came from behind the arc, and Hodge came off the bench to put up a career-high 10 points. Brewer and Noah led the team with two blocks apiece, while Humphrey tied Brewer in the steal category with two.
The Gators took advantage of the Seminoles, scoring 23 points off of turnovers in the game. UF also recorded 73.3 percent shooting from the free throw line and 35.7 percent from behind the arc, compared to Florida State which averaged 54.5 percent at the line, and 35.3 percent in three-point territory. The Seminoles edged Florida, shooting 49 percent from the field, compared to the Gators who shot 45 percent for the game. The Orange and Blue finished the contest with 14 assists and 31 total rebounds, as well as six steals and five blocks.
UF returns to the court Monday night in a match-up against Alabama State at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, where tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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