Florida Gators Get Rolled by Crimson Tide, 97-69
Alabama (20-3, 11-0) shot 49.3% from the field, knocked down 15 triples and never trailed in a 97-69 rout of Florida (13-11, 6-5) on Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa to keep its undefeated standing in the SEC intact.
It was pure domination by the nation's No. 3 squad.
The Gators, consequently, finish a rough four-game stretch of Quadrant I opponents, which contained three contests against teams in the AP top-five and a trip to Rupp Arena, at 1-3.
In the first half, the Crimson Tide dismantled the Gators' No. 10 defense per KenPom efficiency metric, connecting from beyond the arc nine times with five different players knocking down threes.
That came as a result of Bama's interior penetration — coming in the pick-and-roll-heavy offense Nate Oats has implemented — to force Florida's defense to crash down on drivers while leaving open shooters along the perimeter. The Tide made UF pay for that by spraying the ball out and capitalizing on the open looks.
Florida allowed a season-high 97 points.
However, while Alabama was excellent, the night was a mixture of Bama's rights and Florida's wrongs.
Going 1-for-13 at the rim in the first half, including multiple burned opportunities in transition, and 1-for-14 to end the first 20 minutes, the Gators put themselves behind the curve to compete with the Tide's two-way excellence.
Florida saw some early success in the second half. They outscored UA 21-10 to open the period, cutting the deficit down to as little as 18 with 12:49 remaining.
Colin Castleton did his part, scoring 29 points on 9-for-17 from the floor with nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists. A large part of his production came via a right hook away from the left side of the basket, where Charles Bediako attempted to force him.
However, as expected, the Tide's 29-point halftime lead proved to be too much for Florida to overcome in the end. Brandon Miller showcased his elite skillset en route to dropping 24 points, with Mark Sears (19) and Jahvon Quinerly (11) operating in complementary roles.
As a result, just one week removed from a potential season-defining victory over Tennessee, the Gators produced an outing to forget as they enter the season's closing stretch.
The Gators fall to 2-9 against Quadrant I opponents, with just one more opportunity at securing one (at Arkansas) on the regular season schedule.
Florida will return home on Saturday to play host to Ole Miss (10-14, 2-9) with an opportunity to get back on track against the Rebels.
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