Not much went right for the Gators on Friday as they were dominated in pretty much every aspect of the game with Tennessee coming away with a 78-66 win. Florida had frustrations offensively, defensively, rebounding, and with ball security throughout 40 minutes that felt like it dragged on for hours, and the final score actually made the game appear closer than it actually was. Tennessee held a 31-22 lead at half and never relented, essentially holding on to a lead for the entire game and never letting the Gators go on a run. Florida will now have to regroup and find out on Sunday what seed they’ll be in the NCAA Tournament and hope they can capture some magic to win a game or two.
Offensive Woes
For the first 25 minutes of the game Florida was shooting under 30% from the field and was below 0.7 points per possession, completely stymied by Tennessee’s defense. This was largely because the Gators were entirely reliant on the pick and roll, and the Volunteers were completely ready to guard it. Florida went 0-12 with 4 turnovers in the pick and roll in the first half and didn’t fare much better in the second. Since they’re so reliant on the pick and roll, with that gone they didn’t have any secondary options. Yves Pons was also a huge factor in this one coming away with a school record 9 blocks, almost single handedly ensuring the Gators were going to have a bad offensive day. Right now the Gators are a one-dimensional offensive team and if they aren’t able to score out of the pick and roll they’re going to be in trouble.
Shouldering The Load
Mann was quiet in the first half scoring only 5 points but came alive in the second scoring 25 bringing his total to 30 points alongside 4 rebounds and 1 assist. In a game where no one seemed capable of scoring Mann put the team on his back, trying to will the Gators back into the game. Unfortunately no one was able to join him, and he was the lone bright spot in a very, very tough game for the Gators. Mann has been absolutely sensational in the last few weeks, and if the team around him can pick up their level of play he has the chance to be one of the NCAA Tournament heroes that seem to emerge every March.
Tough Ejection
Omar Payne had an unfortunate moment in the second half getting called for a flagrant 2 foul that resulted in an ejection. Tennessee center John Fulkerson was hanging onto his jersey a bit as they went to run back in transition and in trying to get his arm off, Payne threw a violent elbow. That elbow landed squarely to the side of the head of Fulkerson who instantly collapsed to the court, and never returned after being helped to the locker room. It was an unfortunate play that Payne would definitely want back, and further disciplinary action may come to him.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, we saw a lot of the bad when it came to Florida basketball all in one game. They lacked the ability to defend at a high level, they were completely one-dimensional offensively, they turned the ball over a ton, and they got blasted on the glass. The Gators are struggling right now at the worst time to struggle–the postseason. They will now wait until Sunday to find out their fate in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s likely they’re an 8 or 9 seed which will make for a tough game.