GAINESVILLE, Fla. — During his post-game Zoom call Saturday, Florida coach Mike White broke off on something of a mini-tangent in speaking about his team's work-in-progress offense that had shot 50 percent from the floor for a second straight game and helped deliver a second Southeastern Conference victory in as many tries in this young 2020-21 season. 

After beating LSU 83-79 and getting at least 16 points from four different players, White praised his team's performance, as well as its potential, and singled out the impact of a trio of transfers, including 6-foot-11, 231-pound Colin Castleton and enegeric 6-7 forward Anthony Duruji. 

It wasn't until the next question that White realized he'd neglected to make a key point. Or a Key point, rather. 

"The biggest point I should have made with the last question was that Keyontae is sitting over there with us," White said. "It's another process we're going through right now, with new role identity and offensive concepts and so forth." 

The reference, of course, was to junior forward Keyontae Johnson, now three weeks removed from his stunning on-the-court collapse at Florida State. Johnson, voted preseason SEC Player of the Year was on the UF sidelines Saturday, cheering on and coaching his teammates, as they hit the Tigers with an early Castleton-led second-half flurry, then made enough plays — and free throws — to close out the win in the home league opener at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. 

Castleton, the instant-eligible transfer from Michigan, scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, including the first 15 out of the locker room to put some distance between the Gators (5-1, 2-0) and Tigers (6-2, 1-1) early in the period. Duruji, who sat out last season after transferring from Louisiana Tech, posted 16 points and seven rebounds, in his second game replacing Johnson in the starting lineup. Sophomore point guard Tre Mann equaled his career-high of 19 points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore wing Scottie Lewis had 17 points, five rebounds and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line over the final 29 seconds to help seal the win. 
 
Three days after shooting 62.5 percent in opening SEC play with a blowout victory at Vanderbilt, Florida shot 50 percent against LSU, despite going just 5-for-21 from the 3-point line. The Gators out-rebounded the Tigers 35-31 and outscored them in the paint 34-30, with Castleton causing all kinds of problems inside on his way to finishing 7-for-10 from the floor, with six rebounds, and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line in a mere 19 minutes. 

Remember, this is a team that went 15 days — from the Dec. 12 defeat at Florida State and emotional/terrifying loss of Johnson — without as much as a single practice, and Saturday was playing its first home game since beating Stetson on Dec. 6. That's 27 days ago. 

"I don't want to sit here and act like we've got it all figured out and that we're a really good basketball team. We've got a ways to go," White said. "But the adversity these guys have faced? Are you kidding me?"

Barely two minutes into the game, Castleton was dealing with some on-court adversity. He was whistled for his second foul and went to the bench for good. 

"Those were mental mistakes," he said. "I knew I had to fix that." 

When Castleton returned to start the second half, the score was at tied at 40 after the Gators had shot nearly 58 percent and the Tigers 46 percent, including five of eight 3-pointers. 

He made a difference instantly. 

"I thought we played a pretty good first half," LSU coach Will Wade said. "Then they dominated us with Castleton and Duruji in the second half on the offensive glass."

Castleton scored his team's first 15 points after intermission — and 17 of the first 19 — as the Gators built a seven-point lead that four times got to as high as 10, the last instance on a jumper from Duruji at the 4:22 mark that made it 76-66. Along the way to that double-digit cushion Castleton and Duruji combined for nine offensive rebounds. 

"I've just tried to stay patient and build on every opportunity I get," said Duruji, who made six of his 12 shots, two of five from the arc, and both his free throws while giving his all on the defensive end over 34 minutes. "Whether I play one minute or 18 minutes, i just go out there and try to play my hardest."
 
The Tigers didn't go away. Not with super freshman and SEC scoring leader Cameron Thomas, four days after going for 32 in his league debut, pouring in 28 points and making all 11 of his free throws. Thomas's last shot came after Lewis, with 29 seconds to go, made two free throws to maintain a six-point lead. Thomas then threw in a ridiculous, high-arching 3-pointer from the corner while falling out of bounds and into his bench to make it a one-possession game. 

At the other end, Lewis missed the first but hit the second free throw for a four-point lead. LSU got two free throws from forward Trendon Watford (21 points, 8 rebounds) to pull within two with 6.9 remaining, but Lewis had an answer with two free throw makes at the Florida end with 5.9 seconds for the icing. 

On the UF baseline, Johnson, their best player, beamed for his team. 

So did his coach.  

"Our guys have played with a ton of heart," White said. "It's the epitome of resolve and overcoming adversity and staying together and moving forward. Our guys have shown a ton of mental toughness. I'm very proud."