Gators handle the Cardinals
GAINESVILLE — Chris Chiozza scored 16 points, Jalen Hudson added 13 and Florida beat Incarnate Word 75-60 on Friday night.
Egor Koulechov chipped in 12 points for the Gators, who won for the third time in four games.
Florida (8-4) made six 3-pointers and converted two 3-point plays in the first 11 minutes of the second half to turn a close game into a lopsided affair. The Gators pulled away with a 17-2 run over a fourminute stretch.
Chiozza scored eight of those 17 points. He made a driving shot in the lane with two defenders draped all over him. He hit a 3-pointer and then converted a 3-point play off a steal.
Florida shot 39 percent from the field, including 9 of 36 from 3-point range. It wasn’t a stellar night, but it was the first time in a month coach Mike White’s team scored that many points.
The Gators’ more pressing problem has been defense, and nothing they did against Incarnate Word (5-5) eased White’s concerns. After all, the Cardinals entered the game ranked No. 297 in college basketball’s Ratings Percentage Index.
Charles Brown III led Incarnate Word with 13 points. Simi Socks added 11.
Florida took advantage of its size and speed advantage, finishing with 12 offensive rebounds and 14 steals.
The highlight for the Cardinals: Shawn Johnson heaved in a 3-pointer from near midcourt at the end of the first half, making it a three-point game at the break.
Florida closed out nonconference play by winning three of its final four. But the Gators hardly look ready for SEC action. A season that started with lofty expectations, which only increased with a topfive ranking, looks less and less like it will end in the NCAA Tournament.