Florida 68, Texas A&M 47
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Mike Rosario led three Florida scorers in double-figures with 19 points, lifting the No. 10 Gators to a 68-47 win over Texas A&M at Reed Arena with another suffocating defensive effort.
Patric Young added 18 points and eight rebounds for Florida and Erik Murphy had 16 points and 7 rebounds. Florida held a team under 50 points for the eighth time in 15 games this season.
Alex Caruso led Texas A&M (12-4, 2-1 SEC) with 12 points off the bench. Elston Turner, who scored 40 points in Texas A&M's 83-71 upset win last Saturday against Kentucky, was held to four points on 1 of 10 shooting.
Up 35-18 at halftime. Florida extended its lead to as many as 23 points in the second half. Texas A&M couldn't get back into the game, making just 1 of its first 10 second-half shots.
Rosario scored 11 of Florida's first 13 points, helping the Gators jump to an early 13-9 lead. Rosario made four of his first five attempts, including three consecutive 3-pointers. Texas A&M answered with a 5-0 run, taking a 14-13 lead on a putback from Kourtney Roberson.
Florida regained the lead on a Murphy jumper. Texas A&M cut Florida's lead to 21-18 on Turner's only basket of the first half, a 12-foot pull-up jumper. But the Gators closed the half with a 14-0 run, holding Texas A&M scoreless for the final 5:30. That stretch included 3-pointers from Murphy and Rosario and four points inside from Young.
The Gators shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half while holding Texas A&M to 33 percent shooting. Florida scored 16 points in the paint in the first half and had nine fast-break points.
NOTES: Rosario returned to the starting lineup after missing the LSU game with a sprained ankle. ... Florida junior forward Casey Prather sat out the game following a high ankle sprain he suffered against LSU. Prather is expected to be out 10 to 14 days. ... Texas A&M honored its Cotton Bowl-winning football team at halftime. ... Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel was presented the performer of the year at halftime by the College Football Performance Awards organization.
