OXFORD, Miss. — Approaching 12 minutes into the second half, visiting Florida had semi-righted their shooting issues following a first half against Mississippi that showed just 32 percent marksmanship. The Gators were still clanging away from the 3-point line, keeping with their season-long trend, but after that cockeyed opening period of just 22 points they were at 53 percent from the floor with just over eight minutes to go. 

And trailing by 10. 

That's because the host Rebels, also at 32 percent and with 22 points at halftime, were shooting — get this — a volcanic 92 percent. As in 12-for-13 from the floor with eight straight makes. The primary damage was done by freshman point guard Daeshun Ruffin and sophomore guard Matthew Murrell, who combined for 41 points, including some late shot-clock daggers, to snap their four-game losing skid while ending UF's three-game winning streak with a 70-54 victory at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. 

The Rebels (10-9, 2-5) would go on to finish at 74 percent for the second half, making 17 of their 23 shots, on the way to 48 points after those measly 22 through the first 20 minutes. That was plenty to outdo the Gators (12-7, 3-4), who finished at 38 percent for the game, unable to fix their long-range shooting woes that went next level to the run of just four of 29 from the arc. That's 14.3 percent. 

"I don't know that I can put a finger on it," a thoroughly frustrated UF coach Mike White said after a third straight loss on the campus where he started for four years as a point guard in the 1990s. "I thought we had some good looks. On the road, in a tough environment, when the other team is making a run, sometimes you can put a little bit more heat on yourselves mentally than you should. That said, I don't know how, defensively, we could be that good in one half and struggle that much in the second half."

UF was playing its consecutive third game without 6-foot-11 standout forward Colin Castleton, the team's leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. The team also was without one of its key front court reserves, as CJ Felder was scratched earlier in the day due to a non-COVID illness. 

The missing size, though, wasn't nearly as pronounced as the missing ability to put the ball in the basket from the perimeter. UF actually made 15 of its 21 shots from inside the 3-point line, but just could not manufacture enough opportunities around the basket. Junior center Jason Jitoboh had another solid effort stepping into Castleton's spot, making all six of his field goals on the way to 12 points and five rebounds. Fifth-year senior Anthony Duruji had 11 points, on 4-for-6 shooting, and four boards.

The rest of the Gators went a collective 9-for-36. 

"It's hard to replicate what Colin does and it's hard to replicate what CJ does because he's our everything guy; he can do a little bit of everything," Jitoboh said. "He could have helped us in this game." UF started the game well enough, working to a 19-12 lead, with eight minutes to play in the first half, but only got one bucket the rest of the period and went to intermission tied at 22-all. 

"I thought we were in a good place at halftime," White said. "I felt really good about our chances having not shot it well."

That's because the Gators were defending. And then they weren't.

Ole Miss scored the first eight points of the second, with two baskets off live-ball turnovers. Still, thanks to run a of six straight points by Jitoboh, then a couple Duruji baskets, the game was knotted again, this time at 32-all, with 15 minutes to go. 

Then came a rapid fire 13-1 run by the Rebels, with the last six points coming on back-to-back 3s by Murrell. The Gators got as close as eight, but then gave up consecutive deflating baskets — the first an inbounds alley-oop slam by 7-foot center Nysier Brooks (11 points, 7 rebounds), then a blow-by layup by Ruffin — both as the 30-second shot clock was buzzing, as the lead went back to 12. 

Then got bigger. 

"To give up 22 points in one half and 48 in the other, I'm not sure I've ever been a part of that," White said. "Just very disappointed in our defensive effort, though Ole Miss had a lot to do with it."

The game was a makeup date for the originally scheduled SEC opener Dec. 29 that was canceled due to COVID issues in the Florida program. The league stuck it between Saturday's home game against Vanderbilt (a win) and Wednesday's road trip to No. 18 Tennessee (a very difficult game), meaning three games, the latter two on the road, in five days for the Gators, with 48 hours between each. 

Not much time to figure things out, but that's where the Gators are.