Wednesday, February 8, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
WHAT HAPPENED: Third-ranked Alabama jumped on visiting Florida early and put the throttle down, building a 29-point first half lead and running away for a 97-69 victory Wednesday night at Coleman Coliseum, handing the Gators' their most lopsided loss in Southeastern Conference play in 26 years. The Crimson Tide started the game with a 3-pointer from freshman forward and league player of the year front-runner Brandon Miller and it was sign of things to come; as in nine first-half 3s from five different players, as the Tide shot 56 percent in the first period, including 53 from deep (9-for-17), versus 23 percent for the Gators and no 3s (0-for-5). When the teams went to the locker room, Bama led 52-23 and the outcome, especially facing the nation's No. 3 defense on the road, was a foregone conclusion. The Tide got 24 points from Miller, the 2023 NBA lottery pick-in-waiting and SEC scoring leader at 18.8 points per game, who hit nine of 17 overall, four of eight from the 3-point line and also grabbed nine rebounds. Guard Mark Sears, the transfer from Ohio, added 19 points (with four 3s) and backup guard Jahvon Quinerly threw in 11 off the bench (three 3s). The Gators were led by fifth-year forward Colin Castleton, who had game highs of 29 points and 10 rebounds. Castleton made six of 11 from the floor and 11 of 14 free throws. Freshman guard Riley Kugelhad 15 points and six rebounds, with sophomore guardWill Richard adding 11 points. UF shot 45.5 in the second half and actually cut the lead to as few as 17 early in the period, but Bama went on a late-second half run to take the margin back to 29 and coasted home, finishing at 49.3 for the game and 15 of 34 from deep, the most 3s hit against the Gators this season. Alabama's 97 points were the most scored against Florida in regulation since Tennessee beat UF 104-82 at Knoxville on Feb. 5, 2008.
UF forward Colin Castleton (12) tries to find something against Alabama center Charles Bediako and the Crimson Tide defense Wednesday.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators went 1-3 in their four-game stretch that matched them against three top-five teams, plus sent them to Kentucky. Another win in there would have been huge, but even at 2-9 in Quadrant 1 games, per the NCAA Evaluation Tool metrics (NET), UF remains in the NCAA Tournament, assuming the Gators can take care of business in games they're expected to win. That said, the defense over the last 60 minutes (40 here and the final 20 at Lexington four nights earlier) has to give the UF staff some pause, given that defense had become this team's identity the last six weeks.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Alabama is 11-0 in SEC play, with all but one of those wins decided by double digits, including routs of 27 at Mississippi State, 26 against Kentucky, 15 at Arkansas, 40 against LSU, 19 at Missouri, 57 against Vanderbilt and now 28 versus Florida. The Tide are most certainly Final Four-looking fodder.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The 28-point margin of defeat was the largest for the Gators since Feb. 19, 1999, when what would be Billy Donovan's first NCAA Tournament went to Tennessee and was beaten 91-56 by an unranked Volunteers squad. UF is now 2-32 all-time when facing opponents ranked in the top five on the road.
UP NEXT: Florida (13-11, 6-5), after playing three of the previous four on the road, is back home for two straight, starting Saturday afternoon against Vanderbilt (12-12, 5-6), which stunned sixth-ranked Tennessee 66-65 with a 3-pointer at the buzzer earlier Wednesday. The Gators have won nine straight in the series, with this being the first of two games against the Commodores this month. The two teams will meet against Feb. 25 at Nashville, Tenn.