At the Buzzer: No. 11 Gonzaga 77, Florida 72 (Instant Analysis)
Friday, November 25, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators played their first game against a ranked opponent Friday night.
AT THE BUZZER
No. 11 GONZAGA 77, FLORIDA 72
WHAT HAPPENED: The 11th-ranked Bulldogs were unconscious in the second half, while the Gators were basically the opposite; at least for too many stretches, and it cost UF its first loss of the young season. Down by five points with just over 11 minutes left, Gonzaga took off on a 13-2 run, including a spurt of 10 straight when UF went more than four minutes without scoring. Not a good recipe against a team that with five mintues remaining was shooting 71 percent from the floor and 62.5 from the 3-point line in the second half. The Bulldogs worked their lead out to as many as nine with 5:30 left and while the Gators chipped away -- getting as close as four a couple times -- they just couldn't get the series of defensive stops needed to play catch-up. The "Zags" got 18 points from guard Josh Perkins and 16 on 8-for-9 shooting, mostly in low, from forward Johnathan Williams. UF was led by junior forward Devin Robinson's 18 points, plus 15 from guard KeVaughn Allen. Junior center John Egbunu, facing the massive Gonzaga frontcourt, had 12 points and seven rebounds.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF was denied a chance to equal its best six-game start since opening the 2012-13 season with a 7-0 mark, but also an opportunity to score a huge neutral-site win -- the kind that impresses the NCAA Selection Committee each March -- against a ranked heavyweight program. That said, falling to a program like Gonzaga won't hurt that much. In fact, just playing the Bulldogs will provide some good RPI points.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Nice to see Robinson in the game after he was saddled with foul trouble in the night before's defeat of Seton Hall and played just 11 minutes. In this one, he scored UF's first nine points on the way to 6-for-13 from the floor.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators came into the game allowing teams to shoot just 39.4 percent from the floor and 33.6 from the 3-point line. The Bulldogs, who improved to 5-0, went 51.7 from the field and 43.8 from deep. UF, meanwhile, shot 36.9 percent from the floor and 2-for-19 from the 3-point line.
UP NEXT: Florida (5-1) was dumped into the tourney's losers bracket, where it'll face cross-state foe Miami (4-1), which was beaten handily, 73-56, in second-round play by No. 21 Iowa State. The Gators and Hurricanes, who will meet Sunday at 4:30 in the third-place game, are no strangers of late, having played each of the prevous two seasons. UM defeated UF 69-67 in 2014 at Gainesville and 66-55 last Dec. 8 at Coral Gables.
No. 11 GONZAGA 77, FLORIDA 72
WHAT HAPPENED: The 11th-ranked Bulldogs were unconscious in the second half, while the Gators were basically the opposite; at least for too many stretches, and it cost UF its first loss of the young season. Down by five points with just over 11 minutes left, Gonzaga took off on a 13-2 run, including a spurt of 10 straight when UF went more than four minutes without scoring. Not a good recipe against a team that with five mintues remaining was shooting 71 percent from the floor and 62.5 from the 3-point line in the second half. The Bulldogs worked their lead out to as many as nine with 5:30 left and while the Gators chipped away -- getting as close as four a couple times -- they just couldn't get the series of defensive stops needed to play catch-up. The "Zags" got 18 points from guard Josh Perkins and 16 on 8-for-9 shooting, mostly in low, from forward Johnathan Williams. UF was led by junior forward Devin Robinson's 18 points, plus 15 from guard KeVaughn Allen. Junior center John Egbunu, facing the massive Gonzaga frontcourt, had 12 points and seven rebounds.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF was denied a chance to equal its best six-game start since opening the 2012-13 season with a 7-0 mark, but also an opportunity to score a huge neutral-site win -- the kind that impresses the NCAA Selection Committee each March -- against a ranked heavyweight program. That said, falling to a program like Gonzaga won't hurt that much. In fact, just playing the Bulldogs will provide some good RPI points.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Nice to see Robinson in the game after he was saddled with foul trouble in the night before's defeat of Seton Hall and played just 11 minutes. In this one, he scored UF's first nine points on the way to 6-for-13 from the floor.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators came into the game allowing teams to shoot just 39.4 percent from the floor and 33.6 from the 3-point line. The Bulldogs, who improved to 5-0, went 51.7 from the field and 43.8 from deep. UF, meanwhile, shot 36.9 percent from the floor and 2-for-19 from the 3-point line.
UP NEXT: Florida (5-1) was dumped into the tourney's losers bracket, where it'll face cross-state foe Miami (4-1), which was beaten handily, 73-56, in second-round play by No. 21 Iowa State. The Gators and Hurricanes, who will meet Sunday at 4:30 in the third-place game, are no strangers of late, having played each of the prevous two seasons. UM defeated UF 69-67 in 2014 at Gainesville and 66-55 last Dec. 8 at Coral Gables.
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