Florida basketball score, takeaways: Gators obliterate Troy, start 6-0 for first time since 2012-13

By Adam Silverstein
November 28, 2021
Florida basketball score, takeaways: Gators obliterate Troy, start 6-0 for first time since 2012-13
Basketball

Image Credit: GatorsMBK / Twitter

Returning home after a successful tournament victory, Florida Gators basketball remained perfect on the season by trouncing the Troy Trojans at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators bookended the first half with 13-0 runs and led for the entire game in a 84-45 victory.

With the win, Florida has opened a season 6-0 for the first time since 2012-13 when Billy Donovan led the Gators to the Elite Eight. It’s a banner start for embattled head coach Mike White, who entered the season with a 24-22 (20-14 SEC) record over the last two seasons.

However, the influx of four veteran transfers and two new assistant coaches has completely revitalized a Florida team that was used to being atop the SEC annually under Donovan. The Gators are getting it done on both ends of the court with more-efficient scoring and an improved defensive effort.

Let’s take a look at what went down in Sunday’s latest victory.

It was over when … Florida went on a 12-2 to double up Troy 70-35 with 10:08 to play. That simply marked when the advantage was past the point of no return for the Trojans, though the game was actually over at halftime. The Gators took a 13-0 run into the break on the back of three straight triples, leading 49-20 through the first 20 minutes. The simple truth is that Troy was never in it. Florida opened with a 3-pointer 18 seconds into the game and started the half with a 13-0 run. UF led for 39:48 of the 40-minute contest.

Exceptional efforts: Senior guard Myreon Jones was one of five double-digit scorers in the game, but by opening the game making a trio of 3-pointers in succession, he bounced Florida ahead to a point that demoralized Troy out of the jump. Jones finished with 12 points on 4 of 9 shooting from long range, four assists and three rebounds. Senior G Tyree Appleby matched Jones’ scoring total.

Senior forward Anthony Duruji and redshirt senior G Phlandrous Fleming Jr. each posted 11 points but swapped non-scoring duties; Duruji had three dimes, while Fleming grabbed six boards. Senior F Colin Castleton and redshirt senior G Brandon McKissic were the other double-digit scorers with 10 points each; Castleton added two blocks and eight rebounds, while McKissic grabbed three.

Odds and ends: Florida scored 32 points off 21 turnovers and got 28 points from its bench … the Gators were actually outscored 32-22 in the paint but made up for it on the fastbreak (19-5) … Florida improved to 2-0 all-time against Troy and 16-6 against Sun Belt teams … the Gators are now 57-3 when scoring 80+ points and 41-3 when allowing fewer than 60 points under White

What it means / what’s next? It was another impressive win for a program that has got them in a variety of ways against a variety of opponents this season. The 39-point victory is the largest since Florida defeated Cal State Long Beach by the same margin on Dec. 28, 2019. The Gators may be off to a hot start, but their path gets much more difficult this week when they play their first true road game of the season. Florida will travel to Oklahoma on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. ET tip that will air live in the Sunshine State on Bally’s. The Sooners have opened the season 6-1 with their lone loss in a neutral-site game against Utah State.

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