Three takeaways from Florida’s big win over No. 20 Florida State
Florida snapped a seven-game losing streak against Florida State on Sunday with a 71-55 victory over the 20th-ranked Seminoles.
Defense set the tone early for the Gators. The ‘Noles couldn’t get much going in the first few minutes of the game, which forced them to play catchup for much of the half. Once they did get the lead, Florida took it right back after the half and ran away with it.
Colin Castleton, Florida’s star center, recorded his first double-double of the year, and forward Anthony Duruji emerged as the hustle player Florida desperately needed to energize the team.
Beating Florida State in any sport means a lot to Gator Nation, but ending a drought that dates back to 2013 should be even more of a confidence boost for Mike White’s team. Florida didn’t get any votes in the preseason AP Top 25 and was projected to finish somewhere in the middle of the Southeastern Conference. A ranked win could change all of that very early in the season for Florida.
Duruji and Castleton could be a special duo
Matt Pendleton/USA TODAY Sports
Colin Castleton and Anthony Duruji have a chance to be Florida’s next great big man duo. It might not be Al Horford and Joakim Noah just yet, but a closer look at both players’ stat lines against Florida State reveals a few things.
First, defense comes naturally to these two. Duruji is a high-energy player, the kind that dives for the ball when no one else will. Castleton had no trouble collecting six blocks on the day, and Duruji added two steals and two blocks to help the team’s turnover margin.
Then there’s the rebounding. Duruji’s willingness to go after anything pays off quite a bit. Three of his seven rebounds were offensive boards, and Castelton had a gaudy 16 of his own. With both men fighting for any missed shot, opposing teams are going to have to box out well to keep pace.
The cherry on top of all this is that both players can score easily. In fact, they tied for the team lead in points with 15 each.
The entire starting lineup can score
Matt Pendleton/USA TODAY Sports
Four of the five Florida starters scored double-digit points against a typically defensively sound Florida State team. Castleton and Duruji have already been discussed, but Myreon Jones and Brandon McKissic each scored 12 points.
Jones had a rough go of it in the first half shooting 1-for-7 from the field and turning the ball over twice. He found his shot in the second half after laying off the deep ball and finding the free throw line. McKissic helped ignite a late run for the Gators by hitting a three-pointer, but he ended up missing his last four shots.
The only starter that struggled all game was Tyree Appleby. He finished the day with a shooting percentage of 20% and was outscored by sixth man Phlandrous Fleming (9 points).
Good defense set the tone early
Matt Pendleton/USA TODAY Sports
Much of Florida’s success against Florida State can be traced back to the defense. The Gators forced bad shots throughout the whole game and won the turnover battle.
Good defense allowed Florida to take an early lead in this one and set the tone for the day. The only blemish in Florida’s game was against the deep ball. While the Seminoles shot 38% on the day, they managed to shoot an impressive 47% from beyond the arc. Those threes allowed FSU to take the lead by halftime.
Still, it was clear that Florida State didn’t plan for such an intense defense to come from the Gators. If UF can treat every game like it’s against an in-state rival, this team might make it deep into March.
[listicle id=56483]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
1
1
1
1
