Florida Gators
Stetson
Men's Basketball Downs Stetson, 78-57
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 | Men's Basketball
The University of Florida men's basketball earned its 15th-straight victory over the Stetson Hatters with a 78-57 victory on Tuesday at the O'Connell Center. The Gators improved to 50-14 all-time against the Hatters and have now claimed its 14th-straight non-conference victory at home.
The win gave Florida its fifth-straight victory and eighth in the last nine games.
The Gators were led by sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.), who collected 23 points and was a perfect six-of-six from the free throw line. With his five assists on the afternoon, Calathes moved into 10th place in the Florida record book for career assists with 308.
Sophomore center Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) led the team with 10 rebounds, all defensive, while adding 16 points. Senior guard Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) trailed Tyus with 13 points, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to give UF a 37-28 lead going into the locker room at halftime. Hodge also notched five assists.
The Gators turned a 42-35 lead into a rout with a 15-0 run early in the second half. Calathes led the way with three baskets, a steal and a perfect bounce pass to Tyus in the open court. UF was able to extend its lead with a 17-2 run late in the game.
Junior forward Dan Werner (Middletown, N.J.) added 12 points and seven boards, while sophomore forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) notched eight points and six rebounds, five offensive.
Garfield Blair had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Stetson, which shot just 29.6 percent from
The Gators return to action on Saturday, Jan. 3 as they take on North Carolina State at the O'Connell Center. The game, which tips off at 4 p.m., will be aired live on CBS.
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