Florida Gators Tripped Up by Xavier Musketeers in First Game of PK85, 90-83

The Florida Gators fail to avenge their second-round NIT loss with a 90-83 loss to the Xavier Musketeers.

After defeating Florida in the NIT a season ago, Xavier took down the Gators again on Thursday evening.

On a day where the nation's second-leading scorer Colin Castleton posted just 11 points, the Gators (3-2) fell short in game one of the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament. The Xavier Musketeers (4-1) outlasted Florida in the high-scoring affair, 90-83.

Final

Back at it tomorrow. #GoGators | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/tVWKypvrsJ

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) November 25, 2022

The Florida Gators opened the first half with quick five points to assume the upper hand on Xavier out of the gate. However, the Musketeers answered with a considerable run of their own to erase the early deficit by scoring 14 unanswered behind the excellence of guard Souley Boum.

For the remainder of the half, each squad traded blows back and forth, showing the evenly matched reality of the contest.

The Gators were led by guard Trey Bonham, who started his first game for Florida after a promising second half at FSU on Friday, as he posted 10 points on 50% from the field, two rebounds, one assist and one steal. His contributions sparked UF to retake the lead near the end of the half, although they could not hold it heading into the halftime break.

Boum continued producing at a high level for Sean Miler's squad to elevate the unit to an 8-0 run to end the half to take a four-point lead into the locker room. He finished the first half with 14 points on 57% shooting from the field.

Florida trailed 42-38 at the end of the first 20 minutes of play as a result.

The game of runs carried over into the second half. For Florida, it was a two-man affair between Bonham and Will Richard.

Bonham continued to showcase his ability to penetrate the lane and attack the basket for Florida with an And-1 finish to tie the game at 46. Then, he added a crucial triple to give Florida a 49-48 lead with 17:53 remaining. The VMI transfer posted a career-high 23 points on the day.

Richard complemented the Mobile, Ala., native's excellence with 18 points on the day. After hitting a three for the Gators' first bucket of the half, the sophomore wing gave Florida a spark with points off turnovers in the fast break with two buckets in two minutes.

Unfortunately for the Gators, missed opportunities on the offensive end turned into Xavier separating from them in the middle of the second half. Unable to execute on three rim twos within a short span, with a missed dunk by Alex Fudge and two missed layup opportunities in transition by Riley Kugel, Florida allowed Xavier to regain and extend the lead.

That was a common theme throughout the night with 16 missed layups recorded.

Colby Jones and Jack Nunge made the Gators pay during that stretch to lead Florida by as much as 10, 75-65.

The self-inflicted wounds and continued inefficiency in transition defensively would ultimately be the difference in the contest.

However, Florida kept it close to the finish.

After the last transition three by Jones to build that margin, Richard answered with a triple of his own to kill the Musketeers' momentum. He added another on the ensuing possession to spark an 8-0 Florida run to pull back within two.

Richard and Bonham continued to shine in the spotlight to keep Florida within striking distance from there — as Castleton looked to come alive late to finish with a double-double — but Boum and Jones combined for 44 points to fend off a pesky Gators squad to earn a shot at Duke in the second round on Friday.

The Gators, in turn, will face off against Oregon State at 6 p.m. ET on Friday.

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Get your Gators football, basketball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.