It wasn’t always easy but playing at home against the rival Florida State Seminoles the Florida Gators were able to hold on by a thread for a 78-76 win in a game that had its fair share of twists and turns. Early, it was Florida who grabbed hold of a lead and looked like they were in decent shape before the Seminoles roared back, taking advantage of the Gators’ poor shooting and turnover troubles. Midway through the second the Gators threw their biggest punch, putting together an 11-0 run and taking an 8-point lead, largely on the back of their tremendous play in transition. Florida State wouldn’t go and made it a 1-point game in the final minute before Urban Klavzar, who has struggled mightily from deep to start the season, chose a great time to hit a shot as he drilled a corner three to put the Gators up by 4, which was enough of a cushion to ultimately get the one-possession win. It was not the prettiest game for the Gators, but getting the opportunity to play and win a tight game is valuable experience–and it’s always great to take down a rival. With the win, Florida improves to 2-1 on the season.
Leading The Way
When a handful of Gators were struggling offensively and it looked like it simply wasn’t Florida’s night, Thomas Haugh put the entire team on his back and nearly willed them back into the game finishing with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Many of his points came in the second when the Gators were surging back into the game and then taking the lead, and while rebounds don’t always make for the flashiest highlights, his tough boards in traffic at pivotal moments in the game were critical to the Gators coming away victorious. Through three games Haugh has been able to leverage his size advantage on the wing to get easy buckets around the rim, but he’s also been able to still drive the lane and get layups which was a concern now that he would be going up against quicker defenders. The season is extremely young, but so far Haugh has emerged as a clear leader for the Gators.
Start Of A Breakout?
This game didn’t see the best that Boogie Fland is capable of playing but it was certainly his best game as a Gator so far and there were flashes of why he was a 5-star recruit and it shows you why he could be one of the best players in the SEC if he can put together consistent performances. Even with a slow start, Fland was able to catch his rhythm and put together a strong game finishing with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. He also was 2-7 from three, and while that isn’t awfully efficient it was great to see his first two threes as a Gator. Most of his points came off explosive drives to the rim where he was able to burn by his defender with pure speed, and that’s the kind of athleticism the Gators recruited him for. The 4 steals were also a key number as Fland was dominant on the defensive end where he has been at his best through his short collegiate career.
Shots Still Not Falling
After threes did not fall at a good clip through Florida’s first two games…things didn’t exactly get better against Florida State. The Gators finished 6-31 from deep, once again putting together a dreadful performance that will have the questions about their shooting continue to mount up. It was refreshing to see one of the most important threes of the game fall, the corner look from Urban Klavzar that gave the Gators a 4-point lead in the final minute, but the other 30 threes the Gators took did not look great. Struggling particularly was Xaivian Lee who shot 1-10 from deep, something that isn’t completely out of character for the guard who has been known for his streaky shooting at times. Fortunately for Florida, some of their poor shooting was bailed out by their relentless offensive rebounding which resulted in 17 extra possessions, and if they didn’t rebound like that this game could have had a very different outcome.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t the prettiest basketball game but the Gators found a way to grind out a win against a rival and overcome 6-31 shooting from three and 18 turnovers as a team. Florida will have to find a way to produce offensively when they aren’t making shots, as the offensive rebounding might not be there against every opponent–but it was definitely there Tuesday, and the Gators will take a win. They’ll now prepare for another in-state opponent in Miami who is yet to play a high-major opponent.