Instant Replay: Gators 91, North Florida 55
Friday, November 18, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
The Gators showed no signs of a hangover coming off Tuesday night's loss at third-ranked Ohio State and then flight delays that forced them to stay the night in Columbus before returning home early Wednesday.
Florida rolled to a 91-55 win over North Florida on Thursday night behind a game-high 20 points from guard Kenny Boynton and four other players in double figures.
“After a loss, you've got to come back with a win,'' said Boynton, who made 7 of 14 shots including 2 of 8 from 3-point range. “Two losses in a row – that could mess up the confidence. I think we responded well. That says a lot about our focus. We wanted to come out and not have any excuses.”
The Gators did what they were expected to do against an overmatched North Florida team, even without the services of sophomore forward Will Yeguete. According to Gators coach Billy Donovan, Yeguete has suffered concussion-like symptoms since taking an elbow at Ohio State and did not play Thursday.
“I'm hopeful to have him back for [practice] Saturday,'' Donovan said.
Here is a quick look at the game:
How the game was won: North Florida scored the game's first basket, but that was the only time the Ospreys led as the Gators reeled off eight consecutive points on the way to a 39-22 lead at the half. The Gators forced North Florida into 21 turnovers and held a 45-37 rebound advantage. North Florida shot a woeful 24.1 percent in the first half (7 of 29).
The Gators also hit 11 of 29 three-pointers, marking the third consecutive game they have hit at least 11 treys.
Turning point: It essentially came in the game's first three minutes when Erik Murphy hit a jumper and Patric Young followed with back-to-back baskets. The Gators never looked back from that point. Florida's offense hit a stagnant point late in the first half when Donovan was forced to go to a four-guard lineup with Murphy picking up two quick fouls.
It was the first time the Gators have used the lineup since the season started and it showed as the guards failed to utilize the spacing and get Young the ball inside.
“I've got to try and find a way to help them,'' Donovan said of the four-guard lineup. “We've got to find ways to incorporate [Young] in what we're doing.''
Player of the game: Boynton gets the nod since he led the team with 20 points and was aggressively looking to create offense the whole game. Besides his point production, Boynton chipped in five assists and four rebounds in 28 minutes.
Stat of the game: The Gators made just 16 of 29 free throws, including 5 of 13 in the first half. Boynton was 4-for-4 Thursday, but asked if he was concerned about the team's shooting from the line, he said it's too early to panic.
“At this point in time I'm not, but I know down the road we've got to get better,'' Boynton said. “We've just got to go in the gym and take free throws.''
Donovan expects a better performance and addressed the free-throw shooting to the players afterward.
“It irritates me because we've got a good-shooting team,” Donovan said. “They've got to dip into their legs a little bit more. We've got to do a better job. There has got to be more focus and discipline there. We definitely need to invest more time there.''
Unsung hero: Casey Prather came off the bench and saw extended minutes with Yeguete sidelined. Prather finished with five points, three rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes.
“Casey brought a great energy. If Casey comes in and does that, he'll start seeing more and more minutes.”
What it means: The Gators proved they are much better than North Florida and that they can quickly rebound after a road loss at the No. 3-ranked team in the country 48 hours earlier. Also, freshman Brad Beal showed a knack for rebounding by recording his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Notes: Prather's three steals tied his career high ... Boynton now has 1,055 career points, moving past Vernon Maxwell into 46th place on the school's all-time scoring list ... Gators sophomore G Scottie Wilbekin tied his career high with four steals ... Senior G Erving Walker tied his career high with six rebounds; he also had six rebounds at Ohio State on Tuesday.
