A great start, a troublesome middle section, and a barely good enough closing stretch was enough for Florida to hold on for a 70-62 win over Saint Joseph’s in the Charleston Classic, a score that was inflated in the Gators’ favor due to late game fouling and was down to one possession with only a few minutes left. The Gators opened the game with a relieving barrage of three point makes that put them ahead and at one point their lead had swelled to 18. Things turned when Kerry Blackshear Jr. was ejected and Andrew Nembhard was sent to the bench with foul trouble and the Hawks brought it back to a 2-point game but the Gators were able to get the stops they needed in the clutch to hold on for the much-needed victory.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. Ejection
After only playing 3 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble it wasn’t long into the second before Blackshear’s day was ended. After Blackshear secured a rebound two Hawks, Ryan Daly and Taylor Funk, dug in to try to get their hands on the basketball. Already frustrated by his early foul trouble and annoyed by the Saint Joseph’s players poking their hands in for the ball Blackshear violently swung his arms and the ball from side to side nailing Funk, a player who looked to be in Blackshear’s line of sight, in the head leaving him dazed. The referees reviewed the play for a good length of time before deciding on a Flagrant Two (automatic ejection) and Blackshear was sent to the locker room. His game ended with 1 point, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in 5 minutes of play and he’ll be well rested for Florida’s game against Miami (who advanced by beating Missouri State) tomorrow at noon ET.
Stepping Up
Without Blackshear in the game Andrew Nembhard was leading the way for the Gators but after foul trouble sent him to the pine it was all Keyontae Johnson. Finishing with 22 points (a career high), 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks he was a monster and if he didn’t have one of his best games in a Gators uniform they very well could have lost. Most of his work was done on drives where he did a great job of getting to the hoop and he also knocked down two key three-pointers.
Defensive Lapses
One of the areas the Gators struggled was perimeter defense where they allowed dribble penetration far too often, especially to guard Ryan Daly who finished with 25 points, 3 assists, and 10 rebounds for good measure. Seemingly getting to the rim any time he wanted against any Gator defender he used his craftiness and strength to wreak havoc all game long. Saint Joseph’s also generated a lot of switches to get Florida’s frontcourt players guarding smaller players and that meant a lot of ball handlers getting right to the rim. There were stretches where Florida defended really well, especially in the first half, but in the second stanza there were too many straight line drives allowed. This will definitely be something they look at before tomorrow’s game.
Protecting The Tin
Florida’s length and athleticism was on display with 10 blocked shots that kept valuable Hawk points off the board. Omar Payne (3), Keyontae Johnson (2), Dontay Bassett (2), Scottie Lewis (2), and Andrew Nembhard (1) all got in on the action and in a game that was quite close these blocks really mattered. There definitely was a good amount of block opportunities due to how many Saint Joseph’s players were getting to the rim but it’s still encouraging that the Gators were able to cover up some of their mistakes with blocks.
Looking Ahead
Things won’t get much easier as the Gators now take on Miami. The Hurricanes have had a solid start to the year led by their talented point guard Chris Lykes and they’ve shown they can score in bunches. They’re a bit vulnerable defensively but if the Gators can’t match the offense they could be in trouble.