Host Gators rally through adversity to overcome Cowboys
GAINESVILLE — Tyree Appleby scored 13 of his seasonhigh 21 points in the second half as Florida rallied after the break and beat Oklahoma State 81-72 on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Florida outscored Oklahoma State 49-27 in the second, shooting 50% (9 of 18) from the floor and forcing 12 turnovers.
The Gators also made five 3-pointers, were 26-of-32 (81%) shooting from the line and blocked 6 shots after halftime.
Appleby finished 5-of-10 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. added 14 points for Florida (13-8), which ended a 2-game skid. Kowacie Reeves had 11 points and Anthony Duruji 10.
“We’ve been through a lot of adversity,” Appleby said. “Our coaches preach that to us all the time, but we know what to do. We have to stay the course. We know if we stay the course and do what our coaches tell us to do, we’ll be fine.”
Isaac Likekele scored 14 points and Bryce Thompson had 12 for Oklahoma State (10-10).
The Cowboys led 32-16 with 6:28 remaining in the first half and built a 45-32 halftime advantage. They shot 63% (19 of 30) from the floor and were 7-of-10 from long range. Keylan Boone and Thompson each had 9 points on three 3-pointers.
But in the second half, the Cowboys shot 7 of 24 (29%). Boone took just one shot and missed.
Myreon Jones’ 3-pointer gave Florida its first lead of the second half, 58-56, with 8:38 remaining. The Gators pushed it to 72-63 with 1:46 left.
The Gators are 4-0 against the Cowboys in a series that dates to 1993, and are 6-3 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Oklahoma State will look to end a 3-game losing streak when it plays at Kansas State on Wednesday. Florida is on the road against Missouri on Wednesday.