Seminoles knock out Gators
UF struggles against rival Florida State
GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators had the ranking and résumé, but Florida State showed it still owned the rivalry.
Behind a season-high 25 points by shooting guard Terance Mann, the unranked Seminoles stunned the Gators 83-66 Monday night to remain unbeaten and extend their winning streak in the series to four games.
The Gators (5-2) entered the game with the No. 5 ranking and a win over national power Gonzaga and a close call against top-ranked Duke.
But the Seminoles (7-0) showed more athletic ability and backbone to extend their winning streak in the series to four games.
The Seminoles forced the Gators into a seasonhigh 17 turnovers, leading to 19 points, had a 24-to-eight edge in second-chance points and a 51-34 rebounding edge.
The Gators came out flat following an eight-day layoff on the heels of a trip to Portland, Ore., for the Phil Knight Invitational, where UF showcased its offensive firepower to outlast Gonzaga in double overtime and build a 17-point lead against Duke before losing.
On Monday night in the O’Connell Center, FSU jumped to a quick 10-1 lead and asserted themselves as the more athletic, determined team.
The Gators would battle back and eventually take slim leads several times.
But FSU closed the first half with an 8-0 run to lead 42-34 and really never looked back.
The Seminoles’ pivotal run ended on an alley-oop dunk by forward Phil Cofer. The play was one of many examples of the Seminoles’ superior length and athletic ability around the basket.
The Gators did pull within four points early in the second half, at 48-44, on an alley-oop dunk by guard Jalen Hudson.
But a drive by Mann and back-to-back 3-pointers by guard CJ Walker gave the Seminoles a 56-44 lead, their largest of the game.
FSU would push the lead to 18 points in the final minutes.
UF entered the game leading the nation with a scoring average of 99.5 points.
But the Gators shot just 21 of 58 from the field, including 6 of 25 from 3-point range.
The UCF basketball team struggled through the AdvoCare Invitational, having difficulty knocking down outside shots and avoiding costly turnovers.
Few would have expected the Knights to go on the road and pull off a big upset.
But on Sunday afternoon, UCF used a secondhalf surge to earn a 65-62 win over No. 24 Alabama.
The Knights outrebounded the hosts 21-8 over the final 20 minutes to seal their first true road win over a ranked opponent in program history.
“I was really proud of how our guys kept competing in the first half, even down by 11, and we gave ourselves a chance to win,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “The stuff we’ve been working on offensively was something that we could improve. Guys really stepped up and executed today. They played with a lot of poise.”
The Knights were the first team to have an answer for Alabama star freshman Collin Sexton, who scored just seven points, making seven of eight free throws, while missing all four of his shots from the field. It was his lowest total of the season.
“I think we did a good job of containing [Sexton],” Dawkins said. “Guys were being aware of where he was all the time on the floor.”