Everything went right for the home Gators on Wednesday as they got the jump on the South Carolina Gamecocks from the tip and never took off pressure, ultimately winning by a score of 81-60. South Carolina entered the game losing 5 of their last 6 and struggling offensively during this stretch and that wasn’t a good matchup for a Florida team who has been outstanding on the defensive end. Stifling anything the Gamecocks could put together offensively the Gators were able to protect their side of the floor which turned into easy transition opportunities on the other end, contributing to their high point total. South Carolina might be the easiest game on the schedule but the Gators were able to take care of business and win with ease, something that will make the team and fans alike sigh a breath of relief.
Leading The Way
Myreon Jones had a career night finishing with 9 points, 8 assists, and 10 rebounds, flirting with a triple double. Coach Todd Golden actually left him in the game in the final minutes and drew up plays to try and get him the assists that could help him reach the milestone but Jones wasn’t quite able to complete the goal. Even though he fell short of the triple double it was still an outstanding game and it continues a run Jones is having where he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. The three-point shot that he used to be known for still isn’t falling but his defense and playmaking have been outstanding, which comes as somewhat of a shock after both of those elements were deficiencies in his first year at Florida. Jones’ emergence as a quality ball handler and defender have been huge in the Gators starting to turn their season around, and he deserves loads of credit.
Sharing The Rock
Jones wasn’t the only player distributing at a high level as the Gators had 21 assists on 31 made field goals, a healthy ratio that will make any coach happy. The assist count is a season high, and Florida’s ability to move the ball is helping their offense which has needed some kind of jolt after being stagnant for much of the season. In addition to Jones, Trey Bonham (4 assists), Kyle Lofton (3 assists), and Colin Castleton (3 assists) really contributed in the playmaking category. What made things even better was the fact that Florida only had 6 turnovers and that high level of ball security was huge in making sure that South Carolina could never get any rhythm.
Niels Lane Sighting
After a month and a half of inactivity wing Niels Lane got a rare chance to see the floor. Unfortunately for Lane, he had some pretty horrible luck with some questionable fouls called on him, including a play where he got struck in the face and was, for some baffling reason, given a technical alongside the South Carolina player that hit him. That insult to injury added to a frustrating game that saw Lane foul out in 5 minutes of play after finally getting an opportunity to see the floor. It’s unknown whether he’ll get another chance to show his skills in upcoming games, particularly with a very difficult slate awaiting the Gators.
Final Thoughts
Florida’s shaky NCAA Tournament resume right now has given them very little room for error and a loss to South Carolina, who is in the low 200s of the NET, would have been truly devastating. However, the Gators had no issues at all and won this game easily and that’s exactly what you would hope for. They were even able to put up some points, and for an offense with very little rhythm right now it has to be encouraging. Hopefully this game–particularly the offensive output–will give the Gators some momentum moving forward.