SAN DIEGO – The focus through Florida's first five games, especially externally, was on the Gators' collective struggles to shoot the ball from the perimeter. Coach Todd Golden, though, also voiced concerns about his team's ball security.
Those latter concerns were laid bare Thursday against one of most aggressive defenses in the country, as Texas Christian forced 19 turnovers and capitalized on a bunch of them in handing 10th-ranked UF a frustrating 84-80 defeat in opening-round play of the Rady Children's Invitational at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
"I thought we did a horrendous job taking care of the basketball," Gators coach Todd Golden said.
And as if his team's carelessness on that front wasn't a glaring enough issue, Golden and staff will have less than 24 hours -- before taking on Providence (4-3), a 104-83 loser to Wisconsin, in Friday's tournament consolation game -- to hone in on a defense that allowed the Horned Frogs to shoot 58% after halftime, including a back door-crazy 15-for-20 from the 2-point area, in erasing a 10-point UF lead.
TCU point guard Brock Harding had five of his team's 12 steals, but also played a couple stories over his head on offense. Harding, the Iowa transfer who came in averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 assists, finished with 19 points (one shy of his career high) and a dozen assists in working the Gators (4-2) silly in the halfcourt. Forward David Punch made seven of his nine shots and five of six free throws on the way to 19 points and nine rebounds, while forward Jace Posey came off the bench to go 6-for-8 from the floor, 9-for-11 from the free-throw line for a game-high 21 points, all at the rim.
The Horned Frogs (4-2), who committed just nine turnovers, outscored the bigger Gators in the paint, 44-34, and in transition, 23-13, with 22 points coming off their take-aways. Four of UF's five starters had at least three turnovers; two had four and junior forward Thomas Haugh (20 points, 5 rebounds) had an uncharacteristic and career-high five.
"They have a show defense that we do not see a lot. We had not seen it this year, so it's a little different," said UF junior guard Urban Klavzar, who came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points on 4-for-7 from distance and six of six at the free-throw line. "I thought we prepared well for the game, but you have to be tough with the ball, the way they're in the passing lanes. I feel like we just weren't focused enough, especially in the second half. Those turnovers lead into transition and they're a really good transition team."
Klavzar went on to point out the Gators had 78 possessions, with 19 ending in turnovers. Or almost 25%.
"So ... not good," he said. "If we get more shots up, we make some and the game is different."
Reserve guard Urban Klavzar(7) had it going from the 3-point line on his way to a career-high 20 points.
The first half was an officials' show, with 26 fouls called and 37 free throws shot. UF led 44-39 at the break and used an early run of seven consecutive points to go up 53-43 with 15 minutes to go.
But less than a minute later, thanks to a couple turnovers, the lead was down to four. When Posey scored in transition and was fouled after a turnover – giving the Frogs a fifth consecutive made field goal – his old-time 3-point play had UF up just 57-56. TCU finally took the lead (its first since the 6-minute mark of the first half) on a turn-around jumper in the paint, with the shot clock sounding, by Jayden Pierre to go up 60-59 with 10 minutes left.
"We played well enough at points to get ourselves a 10-point lead with 15 minutes to go, even without playing that well, to be honest. But we were valuing the ball and making good decisions," Golden said. "The last 15 minutes of the game, we did a terrible job that way, and I thought our defense was really poor."
The lead flip-flopped four times over the next five minutes, the last time when Klavzar bombed a 3 to start a run of seven straight points that had the Gators up 74-68 with just over five minutes to go.
That's when TCU unleashed a 9-0 spree, with the last two baskets coming after back-to-back turnovers from Haugh. The Frogs led by three, 77-74, but the Gators tied the game at 77 on a driving layup by sophomore point guard Boogie Fland (12 points, 4 turnovers, 3 steals).
TCU's Jace Posey (00) throws down two of his game-high 21 points.
With 50 seconds to go, Harding worked himself free in the paint for a five-foot jumper and to give TCU the lead. At UF's end, junior forward Alex Condon (8 points, 8 rebounds, career-high 8 assists) missed late-clock 3-point attempt and Harding converted four of six free throws – two after a flagrant foul on Rueben Chinyelu – to put the game away.
The win was Texas Christian's first against a non-conference opponent ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 since beating No. 6 Oklahoma on Dec. 27, 1986.
We've got to understand that for us to be our best, we've got to be a gritty, hard-nosed, tough team," Golden said. "It's got to be who we are, and if we're unwilling to execute those things it's going to be a tough year. It's going to be up and down, depending on how we shoot the ball, and that so far has obviously been an issue for us."
