Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications
At the Buzzer: Florida 72, Stanford 49 (Instant Breakdown)
Thursday, November 22, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
Battle 4 Atlantis
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 72, STANFORD 49
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 72, STANFORD 49
WHAT HAPPENED: New starting lineup, new rotation, new energy. That was the story Thursday night from the Gators' wire-to-wire Thanksgiving destruction of the Cardinal. Looking for a spark after a sloppy and disappointing first-round loss in the Battle 4 Atlantis, UF coach Mike White benched fifth-year senior swingman Jalen Hudson in favor of freshman Noah Locke and got a lot more of what he was looking for -- from everybody -- as the Gators opened a 21-point first-half lead and finished what they started in the loser's bracket of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Backup sophomore guard Deaundrae Ballard came off the bench to score 19 points. Locke, in his first collegiate start, went for 11 points and banged in a trio of 3s, to go with a couple rebounds and assists. It was the Florida defense and all-around effort, though, that keyed the outcome. The Gators limited the Cardinal to just five first-half field goals and 21.7-percent shooting (just 1-for-10 from the 3-point line) in the first half in opening a 32-13 lead at the break. Stanford shot it better in the second half (55 percent overall and 7-for-12 from deep), but so did the Gators (58 and 57, respectively) and led by as many as 28 with just under 15 minutes left. Senior guard KeVaughn Allen had 13 points, while freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard had eight points, three rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes.
WHAT IT MEANS: To say White was disappointed in his team's performance (and the effort of some players) in the loss to Oklahoma would be a gross understatement. The UF staff had some real-talk meetings with the team in the 24 hours preceding their second-round game at Imperial Arena. For at least one game, those discussions appeared to have struck the right chords. Enough to keep the Gators out of the tournament's last-place game.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ballard had a game and, for now, appears to be rounding into a guy his coaches can count on to liven up the action and fill up the basket. In 24 minutes, he made seven of his 12 shots and was 3-for-5 from the 3-point line, an area of his game that is vastly improved from a season ago when he went just 5-for-32 from the arc (15.6 percent).
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Stanford's 13 first-half points marked the fewest points allowed in a half during White's four seasons, and the fewest since UF allowed 10 in the second half against Jacksonville on Dec. 14, 2014. The Cardinal did not have a starter score until guard Bryce Wills hit two free throws with 0.4 left in the first half.
UP NEXT: Florida (3-2) will play the winner of Thursday's nightcap between Butler (3-1) and Middle Tennessee State (3-2), which was scheduled to tip off at 9:45. That game will be for fifth place. The Bulldogs and Blue Raiders were dropped into the loser's bracket with Wednesday losses to Dayton and fourth-ranked Virginia, respectively.
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