Florida Basketball: Gators avert disaster after slow start vs Florida A&M

Florida basketball faced a challenging test against Florida A&M, ultimately pulling away with an 89-68 victory on Tuesday night to bring their record to 2-1.

Despite the 21-point win, the game presented a mixed evaluation from Head Coach Todd Golden.

Florida Basketball: It’s not how you start…

The Gators struggled with a frigid start, shooting just 1-10 from the field early in the game. Golden attributed this to a possible hangover from their previous loss but commended the team’s aggressiveness on the offensive glass.

They out-rebounded FAMU 46-31 overall. The Gators had 21 offensive rebounds while FAMU only had 17 defensive rebounds.

Ball movement was bogged down in the first half. Golden noted the ball being “a little sticky” and emphasized the need for improved sharing.  After halftime adjustments, the Gators had a 58.6% shooting percentage and ten assists in the second half.

Guards Walter Clayton and Will Richard combined for 38 points. Denzel Aberdeen set a career-high with 12 points.

Freshman Alex Condon broke out for 17 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.

"“I feel like I wasn’t me against Virginia – I tried to force too much. But when I play confident, because I know I’ve done the work, I feel like I play a lot better, and I think that showed tonight.”"

Golden’s main message after the game is that Florida basketball can’t just rely on one guy every night.

"“The thing about this team that is going to determine how good we can be is just continuing to understand that it is probably going to be somebody else every other night depending upon who we are going up against and what they are trying to take away.”"

Looking ahead, the Gators face Florida State in their next game. The addition of transfer guard Zyon Pullin, making his debut after a three-game NCAA suspension, should provide a boost.