The Gators had few answers for FAU's Michael Forrest (11) and his backcourt mates Monday night.
Owls Bomb Gators With 3-point Barrage
Monday, November 14, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Since he arrived last spring and took measure of what he was walking into, Todd Golden has talked about being strong in three specific areas when his Florida basketball takes the floor: Defending, rebounding and ball security.
The Gators, as such, have three specific goals each game:
* Get six so-called "kills," which is a series of three consecutive defensive possessions where the opponent does not score. * Win the rebounding category by 8 percent. * Limit turnovers to 15 percent of their own possessions.
Golden reviewed those objectives Monday night after Florida Atlantic's stunning 76-74 upset victory at Exactech Arena. As he scanned the stat sheet, Golden did a quick checklist. UF got its six "kills," won the rebounding margin by 13 percent and turned the ball over on 16 percent of its possessions.
"We really kind of hit our goals, so you're looking around saying, 'What happened?' " Golden recounted, knowing exactly where he was looking (the 3-point defense column). "They bombed us out."
As in 13 makes from beyond the arc (on 24 attempts) on the way 54.2 percent for the game (compared to 35.5 percent from the 2-point area), including a handful of dagger 3s during a 24-6 blitzkrieg that put the Owls, coached by former UF assistant Dusty May, in command of the game and in position to become the first non-Power 5 opponent from the state of Florida to beat the Gators (2-1) in 12 years.
"Best win we've ever had as a program," May said.
The Owls (2-1) put three players (all guards) in double figures, with each of them banging at least three 3s. Johnell Davis had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while Michael Forrest, ruled academically eligible earlier in the day after missing the season's first two games, hopped off the bench and poured in a team-high 20. Alijah Martin had 11 points and six rebounds. All told, the trio was 11-for-17 from deep (Davis and Forrest with four each) and accounted for 49 of FAU's points, dashing a second straight outstanding performance from UF forward Colin Castleton, who finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.
"We were up 10 in the second half and we let them go on a run," Castleton said after going 11 of 25 from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. "We played horrible transition defense. We just got to come together better when it comes to holding a lead and being able to finish off a game 'cause that's something we did poorly tonight."
Yes, the lead was 10, but then the Owls (and the Gators' defense) reverted back to their first half ways, when Davis and Forrest combined to go 7-for-7 from the 3-point line and helped FAU take a six-point lead that UF canceled out by scoring the final six points of the half, including a stick-back by Alex Fudge at the horn. Fudge's bucket sent the teams to the locker room tied at 35.
Fifth-year forward Colin Castleton (12) made 11 of his 25 field-goal attempts and all seven of his free throws on the way to a game-high 30 points. (Photo: Anna Carrington/UAA Communications)
UF was the aggressor to start the second half. The Gators hit six of their first seven shots, four by Castleton, to go up 48-39. After a timeout, the Owls got a bucket, but Florida fifth-year point guard Kyle Lofton (14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) dropped a 3 and put his team ahead 51-41 with 14:33 to go.
Then all-Owls happened.
"It was a crazy turn of events. Up 10 and then down 14," Golden said. "It was an awful 10 minutes for us."
And a great 10 for FAU, which hit four 3s during its spree, and led 71-57 with just inside five minutes to go. The Owls went 14 of 19 from the floor over those 10 minutes, while the Gators went 2-for-15 with three turnovers.
"Our transition defense was bad," Lofton said. "They were getting out [by] rebounding, and getting out running. We had trouble finding guys, then they'd swing it one more or set a back screen, [and] we just wasn't together or talking today."
Ever after that horrific 10-minute stretch at both ends, the Gators had five pretty good minutes left. They needed six.
The14-point lead deficit was cut to just four, thanks to eight straight points from sophomore wing Kowacie Reeves (11 points), including consecutive 3s, to move UF within striking distance, 71-67, with 2:24 left. After a defensive stop, though, Lofton missed a driving, contested layup over 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Golden (8 points, 2 blocks) and Martin answered with a 3-ball to push the lead back to seven.
A pair of technical free throws by UF sophomore guard Will Richard (14 points, 7 rebounds) made it 74-71 with 50.7 to go, and after two free throws from FAU's Forrest pushed the margin back to five, a Richards 3 with 13.2 to go made the score 76-74.
The ensuing inbounds pass led to a tie-up on the floor, but the possession arrow favored the Owls with 8.2 left. This time, FAU didn't mess around, geting the ball in and running off all but 0.1 of the clock before Florida could foul, as Florida Atlantic became the first in-state team not named Florida State or Miami to beat the Gators since a 71-68 overtime upset by Jacksonville on Dec. 20, 2010.
"They hit 13 3s. That's really all it is. If we would have held them to 10 we probably win the game," Golden said. "It'll probably be the most anyone makes against us this year."
