Following a game against Boston College where Florida came alive the Gators kept it rolling with a blowout 86-40 win over the Stetson Hatters. It took a little while for Florida’s engine to rev up with a slow offensive start from the floor but they hit their stride midway through the first half and didn’t let up for the rest of the contest. With the score margin so wide the Gators were able to empty their bench and get everyone on the roster some minutes, including walk-ons Alex Klatsky and Jack May who got their first career action in orange and blue. Also seeing their first minutes with the Gators was JUCO transfer Osayi Osifo who joined the team after missing the first two due to COVID protocol. Leading the way for Florida was Keyontae Johnson who finished with 19 points, most of them coming in the typical Johnson fashion. He let the game come to him, only took great shots, and ultimately ended up with what seemed like a quiet 19 points.
Locking Down
Now, Stetson isn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, but the Gators made them feel uncomfortable for 40 minutes and held them to a mere 40 points. For much of the game Stetson was on track to set an NCAA record for lowest field goal percentage in a game (13.1%) but a flurry of shots in garbage time got them all the way up to 20.8%. A lot of this was due to them missing easy looks they probably should have made and the Gators did get lucky on a few open drives for Stetson that ended up getting called as travels but ultimately it should be an encouraging defensive performance. Controlling things on the inside was Omar Payne who had 3 monster blocked shots showing the length and athleticism he’s been known for in Gainesville.
Finding Their Range
Noah Locke started the season cold from deep from behind the arch but he snapped that streak with a 5-6 clip from three. In the second half he really got going, finding space and ripping it with confidence, shots that all hit the bottom of the net with absolute purity. Joining the party was Tre Mann who went 2-4 as well as freshman Samson Ruzhentsev who hit his first three-point shot as a Gator, finishing 1-4. Ruzhentsev has beautiful form and shot the ball with excellence in high school, so it should only be a matter of time before he’s knocking threes down with regularity. As a team the Gators hit 39% of their threes which looks great, but it was hugely propped up by Noah Locke’s hot shooting day.
Continuing To Impress
Perhaps the most popular Gator through this young season has been Tyree Appleby whose frantic pace of play and energetic demeanor has everyone entertained. It was hit driving and shot making ability that excited fans in the first two games but on Sunday it was his defense. Finishing with 4 steals he was a terror guarding the ball using quick jabs to poke away attempted crossovers. What made the steals even better was that they often triggered fast break opportunities, punctuated by an alley-oop that he threw off the backboard to a trailing Scottie Lewis. Appleby has been awfully impressive early and brings a spark off the bench that the Gators haven’t had in years.
Tyree Appleby, everyone’s new favorite Gator pic.twitter.com/3fezDRcAm6
— Eric Fawcett (@Efawcett7) December 6, 2020
Final Thoughts
Stetson is a young program and was always going to be overmatched by the Gators but ultimately the game went about as well as it could have for Florida. They moved the ball and got open shots, they pushed it in transition, and they communicated well defensively. Most of all, they kept their forward momentum from the Boston College win and it’s important for teams to build on positive performances with more positive performances. The Gators will need all the momentum they can because their next game is against Florida State, a terrifying opponent given the recent history between the two teams.