Gators improve to 5-0 with 84-60 win over Florida A&M

Thomas Haugh launches a 3-pointer against Florida A&M (UAA Photo)

The outcome was about what you expect when a nationally-ranked team takes on an opponent from way down the foodchain that is willing to take a beating for a paycheck. Florida A&M bused in from Tallahassee and the Rattlers made a good accounting of themselves although they took an 84-60 beating at the hands of 21st-ranked Florida (5-0).

The Rattlers really never had a chance. Their 24-point loss was actually quite respectable considering what it might have been if the Gators had played the second half with the same intensity they displayed in the first 20 minutes. Florida closed out the first half on a 19-2 run that was the Gators’ best stretch of basketball this season for a 46-22 lead at the intermission.

But, rather than bludgeon FAMU into submission in the second half, the aggressive Gators of the first half turned quite passive. The Gators were never threatened, but the second half was a stark contrast to the first.

The first half Gators are capable of playing with anyone. The second half Gators can lose to SEC teams if they play like that.

The Gators closed out the first half with a barrage of 3-pointers that made it seem as if the Gators had broken out of the shooting slump that has plagued them the first four games. The Gators had 20 first half possessions in which they averaged a most impressive 1.484 points per possession. They hit 7-16 from the 3-point line, scored 16 fast break points and played exceptional defense, scoring 15 points off FAMU turnovers.

Contrast that to the second half when the Gators started throwing up SCUDs from the 3-point line. From a 7-16  first half, the Florida shooters took a powder, going 3-18 in the second half. The shots were there, but they wouldn’t fall.

The cooldown on the offensive end led to a visible lapse down at the other end of the floor.

“Obviously, we did not shoot it well,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “[We] missed 15 threes and I thought we allowed that to affect our defense a little bit in the second half, and we fouled way too much on the defensive end, sent them to the line 19 times in the second half. Like I talk about with the guys in the locker room, our expectation is to play two complete halves, play 40 minutes. I thought tonight we played 20 really good minutes in the first half, and then we were just okay in the second.”

Some of the faulty play in the second half might be attributed to playing without two key guys in the rotation. Sam Alexis, a growing presence in the front court rotation, and Denzel Aberdeen, who plays all three positions on the perimeter, both missed the game with what was described as illness. Golden compensated by inserting freshman Isaiah Brown and former Slovenian national team member Urban Klavzar into the rotation. Brown scored nine points in eight minutes, hitting back-to-back threes during Florida’s end of the first half run. Klavzar’s shooting was off, but he had three assists, two of the wow variety.

The Gators led FAMU, 10-7, when Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard heated up by alternating 3-pointers that gave the Gators a 22-9 lead. That mini-stretch was the spark. The fire was yet to rage.

Ahead 29-20, Richard got things going on a 19-2 run when he grabbed an offensive rebound and stuck it back in with 5:06 left in the half. Eight straight Florida points followed and the rout was on. Thomas Haugh connected with a 3-pointer from the right wing and Brown followed with the first points of his Florida career, a high arching 3-ball from the corner. He hit another three from the right wing that closed out the scoring of the first half.

Then came the second half and the Gators let FAMU dictate the tempo, which had a slowdown effect on the Gators offensively. There were shots to be had but the Gators kept missing. Other than threes by Walter Clayton Jr. and Richard that put Florida up by 30 (58-28), Florida’s offense was quite inconsistent. Down at the defensive end, fouls kept FAMU at the line where the Rattlers connected on 16-19 attempts.

Florida’s starting perimeter threesome of Richard, Clayton and Alijah Martin combined for 51 points, 19 rebounds, 11 assists, one blocked shot and four steals. Richard scored 20 to go with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Clayton scored 17 with three rebounds, five assists (1 turnover), one blocked shot and two steals. Martin had 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists (0 turnovers) and one steal.

“Those guys, as you all know, we built this team with those three guys being the main cogs on the perimeter and guys we play off of and lead us,” Golden said. “They're our veteran leadership and they are experienced. All three of those guys have scored 1,000 points in college, all are great shooters, tough, physical defenders and guys that understand how to win.”

Thomas Haugh was a stat stuffer in the front court. Haugh produced 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and three steals. With Sam Alexis out, the front court rotation was shortened but Haugh helped make up for the absence at both ends of the court.

“He’s the definition of a winning player, right?” Golden said. “He does all the quote-unquote ‘little things’ that impact winning. He’s a guy that can switch defensively, he’s a very good rebounder, a really good ball-mover and facilitator on the offensive end, and hit a couple shots tonight – 12, seven, two assists, three steals. You know, just finds ways to impact  ... and +23 in 28 minutes. But without having Sam tonight, without having Denzel, obviously our bench was shortened and we needed a guy like Tommy to step up and play more minutes, and we knew he would be up to the task. But he’s fantastic, he comes to play and compete every day and generally gives us a better chance to win when he’s on the floor.”

The Gators will return to action Friday night against Southern Illinois at the O-Dome (7 p.m., SEC Network). Next week the Gators will be at the Disney complex for the ESPN Events Invitational for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with Wake Forest.  

SEC BASKETBALL

Tuesday’s scores

No. 21 FLORIDA (5-0) 84, Florida A&M (0-4) 60

No. 9 Kentucky (4-0) 97, Lipscomb (2-4) 68

Georgia (5-0) 93, Alabama A&M (3-2) 45

LSU (4-0) 77, Charleston Southern (1-5) 68

Today’s games

Southern (1-3) at No. 23 Texas A&M (3-1)

Illinois (3-0) at No. 2 Alabama (3-1)

Thursday’s games

Mercer (2-2) at South Carolina (2-2)

Syracuse (3-0) vs. Texas (3-1) in Brooklyn

Vanderbilt (4-0) vs. Nevada (4-0) in Charleston, SC

Oral Roberts (2-3) at No. 25 Ole Miss (4-0)

East Texas A&M (1-3) at Oklahoma (3-0)

Virginia (3-0) vs. No. 11 Tennessee (4-0) in Nassau, Bahamas

Friday’s games

Southern Illinois (2-2) at No. 20 FLORIDA (5-0)

Pittsburgh (5-0) at LSU (5-0)

Jackson State (0-4) at No. 19 Kentucky (4-0)

Pacific (3-2) at Missouri (3-1)

Mississippi State (4-0) at SMU (4-1)

Little Rock (2-2) at No. 18 Arkansas (2-1)

Saturday’s game

No. 15 Marquette (5-0) vs. Georgia (4-0) in Nassau, Bahamas

Sunday’s games

No. 22 St. John’s (4-0) vs. Georgia (4-0) in Nassau, Bahamas

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-5) at Missouri (3-1)