Following Saturday’s big 13-point victory against then-No. 6 Kansas State, the Florida basketball team was at a season peak and all seemed right.
Then Monday afternoon came and many of the issues that were there against Ohio State and there against Central Florida came pouring back out. The result was one of the most meaningful wins in Jacksonville University’s recent history, as the visiting Dolphins upset the 20th-ranked Gators, 71-68, in overtime at the O’Connell Center.
“We would have been better off playing the Los Angeles Lakers,” coach Billy Donovan said.
Indeed, motivation was one of the major problems for Florida (8-3) against undersized in body, but oversized in hustle, JU (7-3).
It began when, fresh off being named MVP of the Orange Bowl Classic, sophomore shooting guard Kenny Boynton overslept and arrived late for a team meeting, putting him on the bench in favor of freshman Scottie Wilbekin for the opening tip.
It continued through yet another sloppy first half that saw UF turn the ball over 13 times against a Jacksonville team coming off back-to-back losses.
And it remained as the Gators went without a field goal for 10:48 spanning the final 6:58 of regulation until there was only 1:10 left in overtime.
“We had a lack of focus this game coming out,” Boynton said. “We came out (thinking) we were going to beat this team. On paper we were better.
“But they came out with a gameplan. They played harder than us.”
That can’t be argued, as coach Billy Donovan rhetorically asked following the contest if his team even ran an offensive play in the first half.
Still, this one is befuddling, even playing without the necessary motivation.
After all, UF finished the contest with a 48-31 rebounding edge (22 were offensive), made 23-of-34 foul shots to just 8-of-14 for the Dolphins, had two players (Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus) record double-doubles and got a season-high 21 points out of Erving Walker. Also, Florida had 24 second-chance points to Jacksonville’s seven, and held a 14-8 advantage on fast-break points.
And, oh yeah, the Gators had a 56-49 lead and the ball with 6:30 to play before Tyus jacked up (and missed) the most unneeded of fadeaway three-pointers.
Go figure…
“They outworked us,” said Walker, who missed contested three-pointers at the end of regulation and overtime.
The loss served to remind just how upside down this team can be.
Instead of taking a huge win and continuing to push forward from that, Florida did exactly what it did after defeating ranked Florida State, 55-51, in Tallahassee on Nov. 28. The Gators were clipped three days later by UCF.
What’s momentum?
The truth is, Donovan isn’t too worried how his team will respond. After all, UF bounced back from its defeat to Ohio State to pound North Carolina A&T by 50 points and from its loss to UCF to thump American, 67-48.
“Our guys handle adversity well,” Donovan said. “They are a resilient group.”
But why the heck can’t they stand prosperity?
Donovan put this on himself.
“I’m the head coach, and I didn’t do a good job getting them to handle Saturday to Monday,” Donovan said.
Still, it wasn’t Donovan who came in having made 72.5-percent of his shots the last four games and then went 5-for-14, mostly from inside the paint. That was Macklin.
Donovan wasn’t one of the two guards who combined to go 3-of-12 from three-point range. That was Walker and Boynton.
And Donovan had nothing to do with Casey Prather’s three turnovers in four minutes or Chandler Parsons’ errant pass with 20.1 seconds left that led to a game-tying dunk by Ayron Hardy. The coach also wasn’t playing defense as
Keith McDougald and Russell Powell combined to score 28 of their 31 points in the second half and overtime. Again, those were on the players.
Hearing Donovan, Walker and Boynton speak after the game, there isn’t one place blame belongs. There is more than enough to share.
“I think the whole game… it was our focus level and not being ready to play,” Walker said.
When asked why, the junior point guard was as lost as any of the 8,183 in attendance at the O’Connell Center.
“I don’t even know,” Walker said. “I don’t have an answer for that.”
FREE THROWS
* The Gators had won nine straight and 20 of 21 against the Dolphins in this series entering Monday afternoon’s game. The loss was Donovan’s first against an Atlantic Sun foe in 24 tries.
* The only Gator players to make at least 50-percent of their shots against the Dolphins were Tyus (2-for-4) and Parsons (3-for-6). The rest of the team combined to go 16-for-49, 32.7-percent.
* Parsons played a season-high 40 minutes. His eight points and eight rebounds were close to giving UF three players with double-doubles. Tyus finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Macklin added 31 points and 10 boards.
PATTON’S PICKS
Gator(Gr)ade: D+
Gator Players of the Game: Junior point guard Erving Walker led all players with 21 points. He also dished out two assists and grabbed a rebound, but also committed three turnovers. Still, when the Gators needed a bucket, there were times it seemed he was the only one trying to create an open look for himself.
Opposing Player of the Game: Freshman guard Keith McDougald scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and overtime. He entered the intermission having made just one of his four first-half three-point attempts, but finished the contest 4-of-8. He was perfect on all four of his free throw tries, and added two assists and a rebound in his 25 minutes.
Play of the Game: It has to be senior forward Ayron Hardy’s steal from Parsons and follow-up dunk with 18 seconds to play in regulation. That tied the score.
Stat of the Game: Jacksonville’s bench outscored UF’s 23-16, and Florida’s total includes 12 from one-game-only sub Kenny Boynton.
Next Up: The Gators will host Radford (2-8) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.