At the Buzzer : No. 7 Florida 108, Stanford 87 (Instant Analysis)
Friday, November 24, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators' opened the PK80 Invitational by destroying the Cardinal.
No. 7 FLORIDA 108, STANFORD 87
WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators set a record for 3-pointers in a half, bombing in 13 on 18 attempts through the first 20 minutes, opening a huge lead and finishing off Stanford for a lopsided victory in opening-round action of the PK80 Invitational Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Graduate transfer forward Egor Koulechov scored 26 points, nailing all five of his 3s, while junior Jalen Hudson threw in 17 more, as UF put 100-plus on the board for the third time in its four games. Florida excelled despite playiing without starting center Kevarrius Hayes, who was hit with a one-game suspension by Coach Mike White a few hours before tip-off for violating team rules. Minus the 6-foot-9 Hayes, the Gators had to go small against a much larger Cardinal front court, starting 6-8 Keith Stone at center, the 6-5 Koulechov at the power forward spot and 6-6 Hudson at the other forward position. The way UF spread the floor and shot the ball out of the gate, it didn't matter how big Stanford was. With just over seven minutes to go in the first half, UF already had six treys and a 19-point lead that eventually swelled to 25 before intermission, thanks to an astounding 72.2 percent from deep. The Gators led by 38 in the second half, before emptying the bench.
WHAT IT MEANS: Florida advanced on the winner's side of the Motion bracket. The Gators joined No. 1-ranked Duke, which got a game from Portland State before closing strong for a 99-81 win earlier Thursday, and Texas, which beat Butler in a defensive slugfest 61-48, on the winner's side. The bracket will be completed late Thursday night/early Friday morning. Read on.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: UF's senior senior floor general was at his best. Chris Chiozza finished with 14 points, making five of six field-goal attempts and two of three 3s, but also carded a career-high 11 assists, just two turnovers and four steals.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Stanford shot nearly 54 percent in the first half and went to the locker room down 19 because of the lights-out first half. To repeat: 13-for-18 from long distance. To repeat: 72.2 percent. Koulechov, Hudson and freshman guard Mike Okauru were a combined 11-for-13 before the break.
UP NEXT: The Gators (4-0) will take on the winner of Thursday's Motion nightcap between No. 17 Gonzaga (4-0) and Ohio State (4-0). That one was scheduled to tip off around 10:30 local time, which is a huge advantage for the Bulldogs, who traveled south from Spokane, Wash., while the Buckeyes likely will be likely feeling a little jet laggy, given the 1:30 a.m. ET tip.
