Sharp-shooting wing Will Richard (5) gets a congratulatory slap from point guard Zyon Pullin (0) during Florida's 77-64 home win Saturday over Vanderbilt.
UF Takes Care of Business vs Vandy
Saturday, February 24, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As far as victories go, Florida's 77-64 defeat of Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon was no masterpiece, but it was as stress-free a second half as the 24th-ranked Gators have had in any of their Southeastern Conference games at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center this season.
Junior wing Will Richard poured in a game-high 21 points, equaling his career high of five 3-pointers, while junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. tossed in 19 more points in leading their team to an eighth triumph over the previous 10 games. Grad forward Tyrese Samuel had 15 points and seven rebounds. The Gators (19-9, 9-5) never trailed, built a 15-point halftime lead, shot nearly 47 percent for the game, assisted on 17 of their 28 field goals and defended the Commodores (7-20, 2-12) at under 36 percent for the game and just 5-for-22 from the 3-point line (22.7 percent).
All told, it was a much-needed and welcomed bounce-back from Wednesday's overtime road loss at SEC front-runner Alabama.
And this time, there was no absurd comeback for the visitors, like the last time out against LSU (20 down, tied it). Or the time before that against Georgia (21 down, tied it). Or against Mississippi State (up 16, cut to six) and Kentucky (up 11, lost by two) back in January.
"We need to build more mental toughness as a team [by] being able to get up and just keep those leads and sustain those leads and finish out games," Clayton said. "So I think [doing so] means a lot."
Richard, whose 28-percent marksmanship from deep in SEC play was 7 percent below his career average, banged five of his nine attempts from distance, went 7-for-13 overall, hit both his free throws and also grabbed four rebounds and dished a trio of assists over 31 minutes. Clayton, who fell one point shy of becoming the first UF player since Dwayne Schnitzius in 1989 to score at least 20 points in five consecutive games, hit seven of his 12 shots and three of seven 3s.
Vandy guard Malik Presley (13) and Coach Jerry Stackhouse (right) have great views of one of Will Richard's 3-pointers Saturday.
UF, playing at home as a ranked team for the first time since December 2021, led by as many as 22 in the second half, but Vandy made the final score look better by scoring the game's final seven points over the last two minutes, courtesy of four turnovers against full-court pressure, after the Gators emptied their bench.
"We've got this team in a couple of week and I think we found out something about and their lack of handling pressure," Commodores coach Jerry Stackhouse said, looking to the regular-season final March 9 at Nashville, Tenn. "Maybe we can incorporate that a little more next time."
His counterpart surely took notice, as well.
"It gives us something to work on this week and an area we can improve," Florida coach Todd Golden said.
The Gators may also work in some rebounding drills, after being out-classed on the glass – one of the biggest strengths for this team – for a second straight game. Vanderbilt out-rebounded UF 38-37, including 12-10 on the offensive end.
"We're not being aggressive enough," Samuel said.
Those our conversations for Monday. In the interim, the Gators did what they needed to do in protecting the home floor (UF is 12-1 at the O'Dome this season) and in holding down their fifth-place slot in the SEC standings remained very much in the hunt for a top-four seed and double-bye in the conference tournament next month at Nashville, Tenn.
Florida scored the game's first five points and hit its first five shots, including a pair of 3s from Clayton and Richard, to go up 12-4 barely three minutes in. The Gators worked the margin to 10 inside eight minutes to play in the period and up to 15 in time for the break, taking a 35-20 lead to the locker room.
Vandy's point total was its lowest for a half this season.
Speaking of low point totals, Florida grad-transfer point Zyon Pullin hit just one of eight shots and finished with a season-low two points – his first game out of double figures as a Gator – but spread three rebounds, six assists, a steal and just one turnover for his 34 minutes on the way to carding a whopping plus-25, the highest of any UF player this season in a SEC game.
"He's a guy [who's] been over double figures every game and someone that we've relied upon to get baskets for us a lot over the season, so for him to only get two and us to still get close to 80 [points], it was really good to see," Golden said of his well-oiled offense with Pullin behind the wheel. "I'm just not sure how many point guards out there in America you'd rather have right now. The way he runs the team, controls the game ... just so good with the ball."
Guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) pulls up for one of his three 3s on his way to 19 points Saturday.
The Gators were mostly good with the ball in the second half in building a 19-point advantage just over three minutes in, but the Commodores hit five straight shots during a 14-4 run that cut the lead to 10 inside 14 minutes. Fans in the house no doubt were thinking about some of those other recent home games.
With eight minutes to go, though, the Gators were comfortably back up, 65-43, after hitting six of eight shots, the last a 3 by Richard. The hosts coasted home from there, save some late sloppiness by the subs.
"We could have done a better job rebounding … but we kind of had to get our identity back," Clayton said of the team's stated goal in returning for their first home game in 11 days. "Got our juice back, got back rolling."
