I'm calling this team the Cardiac Kids for the heart palpitations they're giving me at the end of every game!
Cee ----- Original Message ----- From: Helen Huntley To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 12:26 PM Subject: [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: Gators hold off Tide [Brockway] 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 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 -- 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
