Three Takeaways: Gators Never Trail En Route to Fifth-Straight Win Over UGA

Photo: Myreon Jones; Credit: University of Florida athletic association

Hosting Georgia at home before a daunting three-game stretch, the Florida Gators earned their fourth straight win, 72-63, and their fifth straight in the state line rivalry with the Bulldogs.

Beginning the game with an alley-oop slam by Colin Castleton, paired with a block then another flush at the rim — this time by Niels Lane — Florida jumped out to a 4-0 lead on UGA.

Once they got up, they never looked back.

Leading by as much as 16 in the game, Florida had success playing with intensity in their half-court defense. Georgia turned the ball over 14 times on the night, granting the Gators into 16 points easy points in transition to complement a hot first half of shooting.

Taking their foot off the gas pedal late in each period, Florida gave UGA opportunities to claw their way back within striking distance. However, unlike the last teams they have surged from behind against in the last three games, UF held their ground to fend off the formidable effort of Tom Crean’s unit.

“It felt good to keep that same urgency,” freshman guard Kowacie Reeves said postgame. “Even when they were coming back, that feeling of not wanting to lose. We know that these SEC wins are hard to come by. Everyone is good no matter what their record is. So, it felt good.”

Here are three takeaways from the Gators near-complete victory over Georgia.

The Myreon Jones Game

Bucket after bucket after bucket.

When the Gators were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament last season, a mass exodus of talent ensued—seeing a plethora of talent declared for the NBA Draft or looked to transfer elsewhere. 

As a result, head coach Mike White and his staff were tasked with replenishing talent and depth from veteran pieces through the NCAA Transfer Portal. 

Welcoming four transfers this offseason, Myreon Jones was slated to provide the rotation dynamic three-point shooter as an off-ball the team had sorely missed in the past. He was characterized as an upgrade to three-year starter Noah Locke. 

He showcased his ability as a shooter throughout camp, which made his coaches and teammates confident that he could knock down triples with consistency. However, he has failed to live up to the expectations set for him before he stepped foot on the hardwood in orange and blue for the first time. 

Averaging just 8.9 points per contest on 36.3% from the field, the former Penn State Nittany Lion lost his starting role 14 games into the season as a result. He flashed signs of life on the road against Missouri with five triples and 18 total points.

His resurgence culminated in his performance against Georgia today.

"He was our best player tonight," White said postgame.

The senior tied his mark for the second-most points he's recorded in a game with 23, knocking down a career-high seven three-point attempts in the process. He complemented his dominant day shooting the basketball with one rebound, two assists, two blocks, one steal and took a charge.

While his point total proved vital, his biggest contribution was a block with just under 20 seconds left in the game on Jabri Abdur-Rahim, effectively sealing the deal for the Gators in fitting fashion.

As a team that sits on the bubble, the grueling stretch of matchups with Kentucky (twice), Texas A&M, Arkansas and Auburn will be challenging to endure.

If their presumed preseason sharpshooter can continue stroking the basketball with confidence — especially from deep — the Gators find themselves with opportunities to win late in those games. 

If not, the road to March Madness becomes significantly rockier.

Colin Castleton works through re-injury scare in second half

Castleton, in just his second game back from a six-game hiatus due to a shoulder injury, routinely attacked the ball off the glass for a rebound on the defensive end.

High pointing the ball, ripping it away from the defender and popping it out to an outlet guard, the Gators big remained in the backcourt as Florida looked to advance into their offensive set. The whistle blew, and Castleton — with 16:37 remaining in the second half — walked off the hardwood holding his shoulder.

Gators fans held their breath as it appeared he tweaked the injured shoulder.

Mere seconds after making his way back to the locker room, the center emerged to the sound of cheers, skipped taking a seat on the bench and immediately checked back into the game where he would have no more issues for the rest of the contest.

Despite the playing through injury, both before and after tweaking it against Georgia, Castleton continued to prove how pivotal his presence can be for UF.

Recording 13 points and nine rebounds and four blocks (all coming in the first half), he had what many have grown to consider a modest night from him.

“He drew fouls, blocked shots, and also got guys shots with just the attention he draws,” White said. “He’s turning into a really good player despite the injury, and playing through a lot of toughness.“

Despite dealing with the wear and tear that the season has put on him — and showing that postgame with his left shoulder heavily wrapped in ice leaving Exactech Arena — Castleton still occupies the role as the heart of this Florida team.

Florida's inability to finish nearly costs it this must-win contest

Entering the back backend of the regular season with a schedule that White deemed as ridiculously difficult, this contest against a bottom of the barrel Georgia team was must-win for the Gators.

Bursting out of the gates to a sizable lead on the Bulldogs, reaching as high as 16, Florida had their way with UGA when performing at their peak.

However, allowing substantial runs to close the gap to end the first half and deep in the second, Florida proved — as they did against Ole Miss — they struggle to finish games.

“We’ve got to be better finishing, of course,” White said.

“We’re fortunate, man. I just thought defensively, at times, we looked tired, and their initial push, which we are going to see again on Saturday, is elite off makes and misses. I just thought we looked tired defensively and I thought that had a lot to do with Georgia’s offense.”

The one-time 16-point lead quickly dwindled as the Dawgs strung together a 10-0 to close the lead to three with 2:56 remaining.

Becoming a contest that UF had a chance of losing was an inexcusable reality. The Gators beat up on Georgia in nearly every facet, but still found themselves in counting down the ticks on the clock to escape the grasp of the worst team in the conference.

Luckily for Florida, playing at team that has just won six games all season provides the luxury of stretches where lack of intensity can be overcome.

The Gators won’t have that to fall back on in the next four games. Instead, if they let their foot off the gas, they’ll stumble into defeat against the top-tier opponents remaining on the schedule.

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