SECOND HALF
– Lofton splits free throws to give the Gators a 10-point lead.
– Another three-point play by Castleton brings Florida back at nine, and a putback by Castleton on subsequent possession extends the lead to 11.
– A three-pointer followed by another Vols miss puts the Gators up a nine-point lead with less than five minutes to play, but Tennessee responds with a much-needed three-pointer.
– Alligators recover the ball in a jump ball turnover.
– Another drive to the rim from Castleton has Florida back at six with 6:30 left in the game.
– Castleton drives, gets fouled and ends after a friendly. Castleton will go to the line and have a chance to put the Gators to four after the time-out.
– Zeigler responds with a swim in the suit after Lofton knocked down the free throws. But a three-pointer from Myreon Jones reduces the lead to one, and a transition lay-in from Kugel puts the lead back for the Gators.
– Castleton hits both free throws to reduce Tennessee’s lead to four and the Gators force a turnover on subsequent possession.
– Reeves is called for a foul, his second. Tennessee’s lead is as much as three.
– Zeigler’s threesome gives the volunteers the first lead of the evening.
– Alligators get some good looks under the rim but can’t convert. Todd Golden calls timeout as Tennessee gets a second chance.
– Will Richard is charged with the foul, his second, despite not leaving his feet or moving his arms. It’s hard to understand as both teams go to the sidelines for the U16 time-out.
– Plavsic converts three-pointer and Florida can’t reply at the other end.
– Ball knocks down both free throws, followed by a block on Zeigler by Castleton.
– Zeigler opens the goal for Tennessee in the second half, only for Lofton to respond with a three-pointer
FIRST HALF
– Bonham shoots it to Lofton, who finds Alex Fudge open for the two-handed slam as the first half comes to an end. After a promising start, Florida goes into halftime with a 27-21 lead.
– The extra pass back to Will Richard results in a converted three-pointer by the runner-up.
– Tennessee called for the moving screen coming out of the timeout.
– Florida’s 13-point lead has been trimmed to one, 22-21, with 3:06 in the first half.
— Florida has gone cold off the field after hitting just two of his previous nine shot attempts as Will Richard heads to the free-throw line. The second guard separates the couple.
– A 7-0 run by the Vols is snapped by Kowacie Reeves’ drive and finish.
– Castleton hits two free throws and Bonham hits a three in transition to give the Gators a 17-4 lead over the Volunteers. A 15-0 run for Florida against one of the best defensive teams in the nation.
– Alex Fudge finishes on the edge to give the Gators an eight-point advantage.
– An 8-0 run by the Gators before the U16 timeout gave the Gators a 10-4 lead.
– Santiago Vescovi hits a three but Will Richard follows his with one of his own to give the lead back to the Gators.
— Myreon Jones finds Kyle Lofton open to give the Gators a 2-1 lead in the first minute.
FOREPLAY
– Florida’s starting lineup against Tennessee: Kyle Lofton, Myreon Jones, Riley Kugel, Will Richard and Colin Castleton.
REMARKS
– Florida hosts second-seeded Tennessee as the Gators look to build on five wins in their last six SEC games. UF hits consecutive top-five opponents for second time in program history and first time in 55 years.
— The Gators have won five of their last six in SEC action and are ranked eighth nationally in defensive efficiency (KenPom) as Florida has held SEC opponents to .374 from field and .245 from 3-point range.
– Colin Castleton leads UF in scores (14.9), rebounds (7.6), shots blocked (67), free throws made (81) and steals (21). Kyle Lofton leads the Gators with 58 assists, and Will Richard leads the roster with 33 3-pointers made and a .402 3-point percentage.
– As a team, the Gators are third in the NCAA with 6.0 blocked shots per game. Individually, Castleton ranks third in the nation with 3.19 shots blocked per game.
– Florida put on a complete performance against South Carolina, where Colin Castleton led five scorers in double digits with 18 points and the Gators posted a season-high with 21 assists against five turnovers. Myreon Jones flirted with a triple-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists – both career highs – plus nine points and zero turnover.
– Six SEC schools hired new head coaches in 2022, including Florida. Todd Golden has posted a 5-0 mark against his fellow coaches as a freshman in the league and swept through last offseason’s settings for his first time.
– UF built a 16-point lead in Mississippi State in the first half, then fended off the Bulldogs’ rally and stopped the game’s final possession to seal the win. Colin Castleton scored 13 points while Will Richard added 12 in 4-on-5 shooting from 3-point range. Kyle Lofton and Myreon Jones combined for 11 assists and zero turnovers, and Lofton posted a season-high and led eight rebounds as team leader.
– Colin Castleton was named SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 16 after two strong performances in wins at LSU and against #20 Missouri. At LSU, Castleton had 18 points and five blocks with a career night at the free throw line (12-for-15). He then put on an all-around performance against Mizzou with 16 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high six assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
– The Gators’ win at LSU ended the Tigers’ 13-game home winning streak. As UF ran in the second half, the Gators got timely 3 points from Myreon Jones and Riley Kugel, both of whom assisted at the other’s big basket.
– The Gators had five players in double figures in their win over UGA, led by Kyle Lofton’s season-high 18. Colin Castleton had 12 points, eight rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists, while Will Richard added 14 points and nine rebounds.
– Alex Fudge had a four-game stretch from November 30th to December 30th. 14 at an average of 13.3 points and a team high of 8.3 rebounds, 18 to 32 (.563) from the field, 3 to 6 from 3-point range, and 14 of 15 free throw attempts (.933). Fudge had a pair of double-doubles in that span with 16/10 against FAMU and 13/10 against Ohio.
– UF’s 19-point rally in Florida State was the fourth-biggest in team history and the biggest on the road since a 22-point comeback in South Carolina on Feb. 24, 1993. Castleton scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half .
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