The No. 11/12 Florida Gators improved to 22-6 (10-3 SEC) on Tuesday night witha 63-47 win over the Auburn Tigers, but they may have lost sophomore forward Will Yeguete for the season in the process.
February 21, 2012; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at the Stephen C. O
A 16-point victory is always welcome even if it could be considered a second-straight ugly performance against Auburn, but the loss of Yeguete hurts. The sophomore left the game with a broken foot and early signs point to him being out six weeks minimum. Add it all up and that means the season is over for Yeguete. Quick healing and superhuman return times have been known to happen among athletes, but this may be asking too much. With the season quickly coming to a close, Billy Donovan needs another option to step up and fill in for the spark Yeguete provided.
As for the game, Florida made over 50% of their shots from the field and from behind the three-point line, but turnovers kept it from being a model win. The Gators turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and another six in the second. Turnovers have done in Donovan’s teams in recent years and against someone with more talent than the Tigers, this one might have been a loss. Luckily for Florida, the shots were falling.
Junior guard Kenny Boynton led the way with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Boynton is finding his touch again and also made six of his nine attempts from downtown. Senior guard Erving Walker and freshman guard Bradley Beal both scored 13. We’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed for a return for his sophomore season from Beal regardless of how unlikely it is becoming.
The issue for the Gators as they head into the end of the season may be finding points elsewhere. Junior forward Erik Murphy was the only other Gator to attempt more than two shots. When the three guards are in their respective zones, all is good in Gator Nation. If two are having off nights, someone else needs to step up. With Yeguete out, that may be more than just one additional scorer. Mike Rosario, we’re talking to you. Get healthy and find your rhythm. Your time may have finally come.
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Tags: Auburn Tigers, Billy Donovan, College Basketball, Florida Gators, Patric Young, Will Yeguete
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