LSU Hands Gators 79-61 Home Loss

Billy Donovan knew what to expect.

Coming off a loss to rival Georgia, the Gators returned to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Tuesday night looking to get back on track versus the LSU Tigers.

They came in knowing what they were about to face in the LSU Tigers. Donovan even said as much on Monday.

“They’re a very, very explosive team offensively. Extremely explosive. Everybody on that floor for them, you could honestly say that on any given night, any one of those guys could go for 25 [points].”

It wasn’t quite 25, but LSU forward Jarell Martin did score 22 as LSU (14-4/3-2 SEC) defeated Florida (10-8/3-2 SEC) 79-61, handing the Gators their worst home loss since November 16, 2010. That one was a 93-75 drubbing from Ohio State.

Gators center Jon Horford makes a layup. Florida vs LSU. January 20th, 2015/Courtesy David Bowie

 

The Gators started hot with big play from senior center Jon Horford, who got things rolling with a layup, an assist to Jacob Kurtz and another layup as the Gators took the slight 6-5 lead.

But then the Tigers heated up from beyond the arc and Donovan’s squad was never able to cool them down. LSU finished the night shooting 61.5% from 3, compared to the paltry 18.8% that the Gators put up from the same distance.

Despite being forewarned at the speed on the Tigers offense, it was still a shock to Dorian Finney-Smith.

“I think how quick their guards were was a surprise”, Finney-Smith admitted. “We knew they had great bigs, but how quick their guards was a surprise.”

One of those guards, Keith Horsby, was able to finish 50% from the field, including going 3-6 from three.

Florida Gators guard Kasey Hill throws up a shot attempt late in the second half. Florida Gators vs LSU Tigers. January 20th, 2015. Gator Country photo by David Bowie.

The Gators showed flashes of the offense needed moving forward. With 8:34 left in the first half, Michael Frazier sent a pass from half court to Kasey Hill waiting in the post who was able to lay up the alley-oop for Devin Robinson.

Then there was the minute and 23 second run in the second half when Chris Walker was able to record a steal and take it down for the layup, followed quickly by an Alex Murphy block, a Frazier 3, and another steal this time from Hill which he was able to feed to Murphy for a layup. It was enough to force LSU into a timeout. But it wasn’t enough to do any real damage. The lead only changed in this game three times, with LSU applying a chokehold for the majority of it.

Because while Finney-Smith may’ve been shocked by the speed of the guards, it was the post duo of Mickey and Martin (Jordan Mickey & Jarell Martin) who combined for 36 points and 22 total rebounds.

All of that combined, resulted in a Tigers victory that caused Alex Murphy to stand in the dim light outside the Gators locker room with a flabbergasted look on his face and say, “they played harder than us. Better than we did. They beat us in all facets of the game.”

Florida Gators forward Devin Robinson defends as LSU Tigers forward Jarell Martin drains a 3-point bucket in the first half. Florida Gators vs LSU Tigers. January 20th, 2015. Gator Country photo by David Bowie.

Finney-Smith backed up this observation, adding, “they was the better team. They executed on offense and we didn’t”.

The Gators now have just over three days to prepare to stop the Ole Miss offense. The Rebels are averaging 74.9 points per game and will be waiting as Florida rolls into town on Saturday. It’s a game the Gators will find extra motivation in winning, as the victory will keep them above .500 in SEC play.

Kassidy Hill
Born into a large family of sports fanatics and wordsmiths alike, sports journalism came natural to Kassidy. It’s more than a passion; it’s simply a part of who she is. Hailing from Alabama in the midst of typical Iron Bowl family, she learned very quickly just how deep ties in the SEC could run. She came to Gainesville after college to pursue a degree as television sports reporter but quickly realized she missed writing. She’s excited to now marry the two aspects for Gator fans. She loves Jesus, her daddy and football; wants to be Billy Donovan’s best friend and firmly believes that offensive lineman are the best people on earth. Follow her on Twitter @KassidyGHill

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