The No. 11 Florida men's basketball team notched an 87-60 win over the Hornets of Alabama State in its home match-up at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Monday night. With the win, the Gators moved to 6-0 for the season, the first time a Billy Donovan squad has gone undefeated in its first six games. The last 6-0 start for UF occurred during the 1984-85 season.
Sophomore guard Taurean Green (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led the Orange and Blue scoring attack, as four Gators scored in double figures. Green finished the game with 18 points, while sophomore Corey Brewer (Portland, Tenn.) added 17 points, seven rebounds and dished a game-high five assists. Sophomore center Al Horford (Puerto Plata, D.R.) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards, and added two blocks.
Junior guard Lee Humphrey (Maryville, Tenn.) finished the contest with 13 points, going 3-for-6 from three-point range. Sophomore forward Joakim Noah (New York, N.Y.) chipped in nine points for UF, blocked a game-high four shots to tie his career best and led the team with two steals.
The Gators opened up the game with a 10-0 run, en route to an 18-7 lead in the first 10 minutes, as the Hornets scored five of their seven points off free throws. The Alabama State offense traded shots with the Orange and Blue until the half, as UF went into the locker room with a 45-32 advantage.
In the second half, the Gators took control, doubling its 13-point halftime lead to finish the game with a 27-point advantage in its 87-60 victory.
UF finished the contest with a 62.5 field goal percentage, making 30 of 48 shots from the field. Florida also notched a 53.8 percent mark from behind the arc, shot 71.4 percent from the free throw line and capitalized to score 18 points off Alabama State turnovers. The Gators' stifling defense held the Hornets to 40.4 percent shooting from the field and just 38.9 percent from the three-point line on 7-for-18 shooting. Alabama State was paced offensively by LeMarquis Blake, who finished the game with 16 points.
The Gators return to the court Saturday for a noon match-up against the University of Central Florida at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
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