Florida basketball wastes double-digit lead, loses to South Carolina in key SEC showdown

[ad_1]

SPURRIER VS. RICHT: This old rival is now a legend in Steve Spurrier’s eyes

FLORIDA FOOTBALL: Gators promote Russ Callaway to co-offensive coordinator role

FLORIDA BASEBALL: Can Gators contend for a CWS spot this season?

With a six-team logjam near the top of the Southeastern Conference, Saturday’s matchup between No. 24 Florida and No. 18 South Carolina in Columbia would knock someone out of the race for the league’s regular-season men’s basketball crown.

The Gamecocks got in a zone in the second half, and the Gators could never figure it out.

South Carolina’s switch to a 1-3-1 zone defense befuddled Florida, which watched a 10-point second-half lead evaporate in a 82-76 loss.

South Carolina (24-5, 12-4) had its comeback ignited by star Meechie Johnson on offense, and guard Zachary Davis on defense.

Walter Clayton Jr.’s 3-pointer tied the game at 74-74 with 1:15 to play before the Gamecocks closed it out. Johnson, meanwhile, scored 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. That included a 3-pointer that followed Clayton’s shot to regain the lead.

New defense changes game

After a slow start, Florida (20-9, 10-6) kept hold of the basketball. A turnover with 11 minutes to go was the first for the Gators in more than 25 minutes of game time.

But that turnover – and a slew of others in the second half – came after South Carolina changed to a zone defense that flustered the Gators.

The 6-foot-7 Davis, atop the 1-3-1 zone, locked away all passing lanes for shorter Florida guards Zyon Pullin and Clayton Jr., who had six of the team’s 12 miscues. Nine of those came after the change in defenses by South Carolina. Davis finished with a plus/minus of 21 to lead all players in the game.

Offensive rebounds evaporate

Florida grabbed eight offensive rebounds on 18 misses in the first half (44.4%).

But that dried up in the second half, as the Gators got only one – and that came in the final 25 seconds of the game.

The Gators came in No. 3 in the country in offensive…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-basketball-wastes-double-digit-191953047.html

Author : The Gainesville Sun

Publish date : 2024-03-02 19:19:53

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.