A one-point win definitely feels better than a one-point loss, but I sure would prefer a little more of a comfort margin.
On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 8:04 AM, Shane Ford <[email protected]> wrote: > Gators hold off Tide > > > > The Associated Press > > Alabama's Chris Hines tries to work the ball past Florida's Vernon Macklin > in Tuscaloosa, Ala, on Thursday. > > > By Kevin Brockway <[email protected]> > Gainesville SUN Staff writer > > Published: Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 10:16 p.m. > Last Modified: Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 10:16 p.m. > > > > > > TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- With a two-game losing streak hanging in the balance, > Florida coach Billy Donovan spread the floor and told 5-foot-8 point guard > Erving Walker to drive to the basket and make a play. > > > > > > *THREE QUESTIONS* > > 1. Can Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton bounce back from Sunday's struggles > against Tennessee? > It didn't look good early. Boynton and Walker combined for just seven > points in the first half before stepping up late. Boynton wound up with 15 > points, shooting 3-of-8 from 3-point range. Walker still had issues taking > care of the ball (4 assists, 4 turnovers) but hit the go-ahead shot with 11 > seconds left to help Florida escape with a 66-65 win. Walker scored 14 of > his 16 points in the second half. > 2. Can Florida get more contribution off the bench from Ray Shipman, Dan > Werner and Erik Murphy? > Florida's bench scored just two points on an inside layup from Murphy. But > Werner had three assists and a huge play late to bat an in-bounds play away > in the final 3.5 seconds to secure UF's 66-65 win. > 3. Will Florida respond with a sense of urgency after an emotional loss at > Tennessee? > Florida was flat early but turned things around in the final 12 minutes of > the second half to escape with a needed road win. Florida dailed up its > defensive intensity in the second half, holding Alabama to 28 points and > 42.9 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes. > > *Go to Gatorsports.com after the game to read Kevin Brockway's answers.* > > > > Walker's soft eight-foot teardrop with 11 seconds left rattled around the > rim before falling through. And senior Dan Werner delivered a heady play on > an Alabama in-bounds play in the closing seconds to help Florida escape with > a 66-65 win over the Crimson Tide. > > "Coach had trust in me to make a play in that situation," Walker said. "The > floor was spaced, and I felt like I had enough room to get a shot up." > > Donovan had trust in Walker after two straight misses in the closing > minutes. > > "He's a fun guy to coach because he listens," Donovan said. "You know, he > makes a great pass to Chandler Parsons in the closing minutes to beat South > Carolina, then with two defenders coming at him, he makes the pass to Alex > Tyus against Tennessee. In this game, the defense doesn't collapse on him > right away and he gets a good look at the basket." > > The cardiac Gators improved to 5-3 in games decided by five points or less > this season. Alex Tyus led three Florida players in double figures with 19 > points. Walker added 16 points and freshman Kenny Boynton had 15 points. > > Florida (16-6, 5-3 SEC) will take some positive momentum into its second > two-day turnaround of the season. Florida next faces Mississippi State on > Saturday afternoon at the O'Connell Center. > > "It's a big boost for us," Tyus said. "I think just us being in those > situations gave us confidence that we could make the plays at the end of the > game we needed to make." > > It didn't come easy. Florida let a 64-60 lead slip away in the final two > minutes. The first signs of trouble came when Alabama senior guard Anthony > Brock stripped the ball from Walker at midcourt and made a driving breakaway > layup with 1:09. To compound matters, Werner fouled Brock on the way up. > Brock converted the three-point play with 1:09 left to cut the Florida lead > to 64-63. > > After a Walker miss, Alabama senior guard Mikhail Torrance then hit a > runner in the lane with 38.8 seconds left to put Alabama ahead 65-64. > > "I felt like I needed to make a play because I put our team in that > situation," Walker said. > > Redemption came for both Walker and Werner. After Walker's shot put the > Gators ahead 66-65, Tyus blocked a Torrance shot attempt out of bounds with > 3.5 seconds left. Then, Donovan brought in foul-riddled, 6-foot-10 center > Vernon Macklin to guard Alabama freshman Tony Mitchell on the in-bounds. > Mitchell was first forced to call a timeout. > > Then, Mitchell tried to lob the ball to Alabama sophomore forward JaMychal > Green. But Werner anticipated the pass and, like a volleyball player at the > net, batted the ball to the other end of the court, allowing the final 3.5 > seconds to expire. > > "That was a really smart play," Boynton said. "If I was in that situation, > I would have caught it. Dan, he's been struggling shooting, but we know what > he means to this team." > > Alabama coach Anthony Grant said the in-bounds play didn't go as designed. > > "I have to take full responsibility for that," Grant said. "We were not > able to execute." > > Torrance led Alabama (13-9, 3-5 SEC) with 22 points, Green added 14 points > and Mitchell scored 10 points. > > Florida trailed 37-33 at halftime and by as many as six points in the > second half before making a run behind Walker and Boynton. Held to a > combined seven points in the first half, Walker and Boynton hit back-to-back > 3-pointers to tie the score at 46 with 12:20 remaining. Walker then hit a > runner in the lane with 11:47 left to give Florida its first lead of the > second half, 48-46. > > Donovan tried to take some pressure of Walker by having Parsons and Werner > bring the ball up the court during some stretches. Walker scored 14 of his > 16 points in the second half. > > "I thought he was more patient and maybe a little less aggressive then he > was in the Tennessee game," Walker said. > > But Walker delivered in the clutch, allowing Donovan to beat his former > assistant, Grant, in the first meeting between the two as head coaches. > Donovan embraced Grant's wife, Christina, and oldest son Anthony Jr., > outside the locker room shortly after the game. > > "It's really hard because if Walker's shot doesn't go in, he's the one > that's shaking my hand and consoling me at the end of the game," Donovan > said. "He had a great game plan against us. I know the competition will > never get in the way of our friendship." > > FREE THROWS: Florida decided to fly back Thursday night via charter to > prepare for its Saturday game at home against Mississippi State. The Gators > will practice Friday afternoon. > > > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
