Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
After 227 days, Florida men’s basketball finally took the court Monday against the South Florida Bulls.
The Gators looked completely out of sync to start their season. They were 0-5 from three. They trailed by nearly double digits. And in less than four minutes, Florida elected to call a timeout.
Despite the slow start, The Gators immediately got back on track. Florida (1-0) chipped away at its deficit and dominated the second half to defeat the Bulls (0-1) 98-83 Monday night in Jacksonville.
Inside the Gators’ Instant Analysis takes a quick look at how the game unfolded.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: The Gators’ defense held USF scoreless for four minutes in the second half. During the Bull’s offensive drought, Florida went on a 17-2 run and took a 16-point lead.
The run was the defining moment of the second half, which swayed heavily in favor of the Gators. Florida outscored USF 59-43 after trailing by one to start the second half.
THEY STOLE THE SHOW: Gators senior shooting guard Will Richard was the lone bright spot when Florida trailed early on. Richard finished the first half with 12 points and made five of his nine shot attempts.
The Gators trailed by one to end the first half but quickly stormed back behind Richard. The senior guard scored five points within the first two minutes of the second half and finished the contest with 25 points.
THESE STATS DON’T LIE: Florida struggled immensely beyond the arc in the first half. UF made just three of its 17 three-point attempts. However, when the Gators’ shots started hitting, they quickly came back.
Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. was the main catalyst in Florida’s second-half comeback. Clayton scored 20 points, dished two assists and showed up defensively with two blocks.
The charity stripe, however, contributed heavily toward Clayton and the Gators’ offensive contributions. He shot 7-of-7 from the line and Florida made 27 free throws during the contest. In comparison, USF converted just 14 free throw attempts the entire game.
THIS MATCHUP PROVED KEY: Florida sophomore center Alex Condon was dominant on the glass offensively and defensively. Condon finished the contest with five offensive rebounds and 13 rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting.
Condon got into foul trouble in the second half and was forced to sit at times. But was effective for Florida in replacing Micah Handlogten, who suffered a fractured leg in the SEC Championship game and will redshirt the 2024-25 season.
WHAT A PLAY: Florida might have one of the best backcourts in the country. Richard and Clayton combined for 51 points and were 20-for-32 from the field.
On this play, the tandem connected for a transition dunk, which saw Richard finishing on the other side of the court.
UP NEXT: The Gators host Jacksonville at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
(Turn your Smart Phone horizontally or, on a computer, right-click on the image to open in a new browser to see a larger version – Or click on the Box Score link at the top)
0 comments