In a game that had plenty of spice going in as both head coaches were more than willing to have their opinions of the other program heard it was the Florida Gators who came out on top with a massive 100-77 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. This final score doesn’t fully indicate just how the contest felt as there was almost three distinct games–a first 15 minutes that was two of the projected top teams in the SEC trading shots, a middle section that saw the Gators run away with a massive lead, and a huge chunk of garbage time that saw the scores for both teams run up. It was that middle section where the Gators, largely fueled by their defense, went on a big run to build a lead to over 20 points and at that point there wasn’t anything the Crimson Tide could do. With the win the Gators improve to 7-2 in the SEC where they still hold on to the second spot, within striking distance of Texas A&M at 7-1 who the Gators will play next.
Though it might sound strange in a game where the Gators scored 100 points, the reason they dominated this game was their defense.
Alabama, who came in ranked 3rd in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, was held to one of their worst games of the season–though you can’t just look at their 77 points as that won’t paint an accurate picture. The pace of the game allowed both teams to get a lot of shots and therefore put up points, but Alabama was held to 44% from the field with 18 turnovers, and their 1.00 points per possession, the more accurate way to evaluate a team’s performance, shows an excellent Florida defensive effort. Additionally, that number was skewed by some points in garbage time, and Alabama was able to salvage some offense from an incredible shooting performance going 14-34 (41%) from three. Florida was able to clamp their jaws onto the Crimson Tide and put them into a death roll as it wasn’t just forcing tough shots, it was taking the fight to them and forcibly coming away with steals. No one embodied this more than Boogie Fland who had an absolutely remarkable performance on the ball finishing with 8 steals (8!), a number that truly seemed like it could have been more if not for a slight touch out of bounds or a teammate being credited. Getting 8 steals in any game is almost impossible, and it’s even more incredible that he did it against the likes of Lebaron Philon, Aden Holloway, and Latrell Wrightsell, one of the best guard groups in the country. These steals also fueled much of Florida’s transition attack with Fland also having 8 assists, many of the room service variety that resulted in layups and dunks for teammates.
Perhaps just as remarkable as the 18 turnovers forced was the fact Florida had just 2 turnovers as a team, and between this category and their offensive rebounding that you knew was going to be a factor the Gators simply had a boat load more opportunities to score than their opponent. Florida finished with 16 more field goal attempts and 13 more free throws than Alabama, and when you can have that kind of advantage in the possession battle you’re going to win on pretty much any night.
Also remarkable on the defensive end was Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon who were playing inspired on the perimeter whenever they got switched onto guards. Alabama’s offense is all about trying to create mismatches where guards can attack bigs and Condon and Chinyelu remained resolute in their ability to stay in a stance and slide with these much smaller players, and at times it even looked like Alabama’s guards were surprised at the defense they were facing in front of them. It wasn’t just defense for Condon, however, as he was also a star on the offensive end with 25 points and 6 assists, showing the kind of skill that was expected in the preseason when he was on the All-American watch list.
With plenty of NBA scouts eyeing this game Thomas Haugh was also up to the challenge showcasing his versatility offensively with 22 points. There are few teams in the country with the kind of length at the wing to hang with Haugh and Alabama didn’t have anyone particularly suited to the challenge and Haugh took full advantage especially in transition and as a cutter.
Florida has been steadily steering into their identity as a top defensive club and there couldn’t be a better showing of this than what they just showed against Alabama as they enforced their will against an explosive offense. The offense might come and go but the defense and rebounding is showing up every night and when they are dialed in with those areas it seems they can beat most teams in the country.