It wasn’t always pretty but ultimately the Florida Gators were able to build a comfortable lead over the Florida A&M Rattlers and hold onto it for the second half coming away with a 89-68 victory. Florida’s offense looked uncomfortable for much of the contest as their attack often devolved into tough one on one looks but when those shots missed it was their relentless offensive rebounding that once again took center stage allowing the Gators to score around the rim on second chance opportunities. Finishing with 21 offensive rebounds to Florida A&M’s 17 defensive rebounds it was a dominant performance for the Gators on the glass and if they didn’t win that category by such a huge margin, this game could have gotten interesting. Given the offensive struggles the Gators might not have been able to play as many players as many minutes as they would have hoped, but they held onto a lead that was never in jeopardy.
Leading The Way
Will Richard was Florida’s leading scorer with 20 points while adding 6 rebounds which all came on the offensive end. In the first half Florida couldn’t get any clean looks and when it was clear that the offense wasn’t really working, Richard took matters into his own hand by flying in for offensive rebounds from the perimeter and manufacturing easy layups on putbacks. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Will Richard game without some three-point shots and he 2-5 from that range–the typical 40% performance from deep he seems to consistently bring. Multiple Florida starters were frustrated in this one and when body language and energy started to drop, Richard was the leader who kept the Gators in control.
Tough Night
Entering Tuesday’s game Riley Kugel had a streak of 12 consecutive games with a double digit number of points but that streak was broken with a 5 point, 3 turnover game against the Rattlers. From the jump it was clear that it wasn’t Kugel’s night as he fumbled the ball going to the rim and missed open layups, an issue that has plagued him since last season. His frustration increased throughout the game, leading to a second half technical foul that seemed to be more rooted in the frustration at his own game than at the official he might have been talking to at that moment. This will hopefully be a learning experience for Kugel who wasn’t able to provide leadership at the time the Gators needed it, and instead let his frustrations snowball alongside the team’s offensive frustrations. Kugel will look to bounce back in a big way on Friday against Florida State.
Fighting For Minutes
Guard Zyon Pullin is set to return from an NCAA suspension and that means Florida’s guard rotation could be getting a major shakeup. Given Florida’s struggles the last two games it’s clear they’re looking for some improved guard play and if Pullin is able to provide that right away a few guys could see their roles diminished. Walter Clayton had a nice bounce back from a tough night against Virginia with 18 points and 5 assists with, perhaps most notably, 1 turnover. He was able to get a lot more minutes without the ball as Denzel Aberdeen had increased minutes and he was sure to make his presence felt out there with 12 points on 5-10 shooting. Kajus Kublickas also got into the mix, playing several energetic minutes in the second half where he showed poise as a freshman. Watch to see how Florida’s guard rotation shakes out on Friday with the return of Pullin.
Final Thoughts
The final score shows a fairly comfortable Florida victory, but the game certainly didn’t feel that way. Florida A&M was able to hang around for a good portion of the game, and Florida’s offense lacked any flow. Because of their athletes and length they were able to win the game on the offensive glass, but it isn’t clear the Gators are going to be able to do that against the bigger, more physical teams on their schedule. Seeing a quality Will Richard and Walter Clayton game were certainly the positives and they’ll be looked to on Friday in the rivalry game with Florida State.