Second Half Slide Leads To 65-54 Loss To Tennessee

Down star guard Tre Mann who was dealing with a migraine the Gators were in a tough spot from the jump and ultimately they weren’t able to execute well enough offensively on their way to a 65-54 loss to Tennessee. Florida actually started the game well, playing unselfishly and moving the ball until they found a decent enough shot and at one point they led the game 31-17. Tennessee went on a run to make it 33-28 Florida at the half, and then in the second the Volunteers started to overmatch the Gators in essentially every element of the game. It was 37-21 for the Vols in the second stanza, which ultimately made for their comfortable win over the Gators. 

 

Stagnant Offense

 

While Florida was able to put up points with a bit of efficiency in the first half as some nice individual performances from players like Tyree Appleby and Colin Castleton got to the rim, it proved to be a bit of a mirage as Florida’s lack of offensive creation was soon to be exploited by Tennessee. Without Tre Mann the Gators lacked ball handling outside of Appleby and when the ball left Appleby’s hands, there wasn’t much Tennessee had to be worried about. They allowed Scottie Lewis and Noah Locke to dribble around with the basketball, and then they were ready to converge on Castleton anytime he got the ball inside. Florida’s offense has been a bit of a project throughout the season and they simply weren’t equipped to handle being without Mann.

 

Bright Spot

 

Tyree Appleby stepped up in a lead role without Tre Mann finishing with 18 points on 7-14 shooting and 3 assists. He was about the only Gator who seemed able to get to his spots on the floor against a stout Tennessee defense and his occasional sparks were the only thing bringing electricity to Florida’s game. He also played with a ton of good emotion, showing fire and fearlessness going against much larger and more physical Volunteer players. It wasn’t quite enough on this day, but Appleby played about as good as you could have hoped given the situation.

 

Nagging Issue

 

Turnovers have been a major issue for the Gators as of late and against Tennessee things were no different as Florida coughed the ball up 16 times. Once again, many of these turnovers were on routine plays that simply showed a lack of ability to handle the ball and make appropriate decisions. The worst offender was Ques Glover, a player who has had turnovers his whole career, who finished with 5 turnovers in short minutes. These turnovers were simple ball handling errors and travels committed by sloppy footwork and showed that he has a long way to go if he wants to be an SEC ball handler. He wasn’t the only guilty party as Scottie Lewis, Anthony Duruji, and Colin Castleton also had their moments committing sloppy turnovers. For a team that already struggled with turnovers, losing their point guard was a bit of a death blow.

 

Mounting Frustrations

 

Another issue Florida had was on the offensive glass as Tennessee put up 18 offensive rebounds, something that had Mike White steaming mad. Coach White also was angry with some missed defensive assignments, as well as with some players who held onto the ball far too long. The peak of his frustration was a moment in the second half where he took out Noah Locke and put in Alex Klatsky, a freshman, in a big moment when the game was tight. This was almost certainly just to make a point, but Klatsky actually was able to get a steal in the one play he was on the floor before getting subbed out.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Unfortunately, we’re nearing the end of the season and Florida is not playing their best basketball. They’ve been sliding down the SEC standings and will now finish 5th, meaning they’ll be playing on Thursday in the SEC Tournament. Florida deserves some credit for battling in the first half, but their dismal performance in the second half to lead the lead slide was nothing short of a disaster. Yes, playing without your lead ball handler is very tough, but their inability to get through any of their offensive progressions and their constant turnovers simply can’t happen, no matter who you’re missing. They have a huge week upcoming as they try to improve, and not worsen their NCAA Tournament resume. 

 

Eric Fawcett
Eric is a basketball coach and writer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His work has been found at NBA international properties, ESPN, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Lindy's and others. He loves zone defenses, the extra pass, and a 30 second shot clock. Growing up in Canada, an American channel showing SEC basketball games was his first exposure to Gator hoops, and he has been hooked ever since. You can follow him on Twitter at @ericfawcett_.