Recap: Gators dominate Aggies, 68-47

(10) Florida 68 - Texas A&M 47

Top Performers

Florida Gators
Mike Rosario: 19 points (7/15 fg, 4/7 3pt), 3 assists
Patric Young: 18 points (7/9 fg, 4/5 ft), 7 rebounds
Erik Murphy: 16 points (6/10 fg, 2/5 3pt), 7 rebounds

Texas A&M
Alex Caruso: 12 points (4/9 fg, 1/3 3pt, 3/4 ft), 3 assists, 4 steals
J'Mychal Reese: 10 points (4/10 fg, 2/3 3pt)

First Half Notes

• Senior guard Mike Rosario started the game off on fire, scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes.  He was getting wide-open looks and his play carried over to the other players on the floor.  Rosario took a season-high 15 shots over the course of the game, not bad for someone who missed the last game with a sprained ankle. 
• Junior forward Will Yeguete was not moving well as a result of the continued tendonitis in his right knee.  Although he played 19 minutes, he scored two points and only grabbed three rebounds.  Let's hope Yeguete's knee pain eases because the Gators certainly need his toughness and defense.
• Texas A&M's leading scorer, Elston Turner, scored two points in the first half on 1/6 shooting.  After going off for 40 points in the upset at Kentucky, he wasn't going to get any good looks against the Gators.  Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin played incredible, lock-down defense on one of the SEC's best scorers.  As I mentioned in the preview, the Aggies go as Elston Turner goes.  Elston Turner struggled offensively and so did the Aggies.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy collected seven rebounds during the half, which was looking like it was going to be a special night for him on the boards if he kept at that pace.  However, he finished the game with the same total.  Not a bad effort considering he came into the game averaging 4.5 rebounds per game.  But it was disappointing to finish with the same number after getting off to a great start on the boards.
• Haltime score: Florida 35 - Texas A&M 18

Second Half Notes

• Junior forward Patric Young airballed a jump shot from about 12 feet.  For all the strides that he's made on the offensive end (his jump hooks are indefensible and he looks comfortable taking them), he needs to show that he can make jump shots consistently.  Especially for the NBA scouts evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, it's imperative that he developes a consistent jump shot inside 15 feet or becomes more comfortable taking them.
• Senior guard Kenny Boynton finished with five points on 2/6 shooting, but did have five assists.  Luckily, his supporting cast provided enough offense.  Against the Aggies, Boynton did not need to score but, on Saturday versus Missouri, that could be a different story. 
• Rosario, Young, and Murphy scored 53 out of the 68 points (78%). 
• ESPN announcer and Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight spoke highly of Florida's defense: "They're alert."
• Patric Young had quite a stretch mid-way through the second half: he hit a jumper and was fouled (made the free throw), he had a nice follow-up dunk off a Wilbekin miss, a 3-point play off a tough finish, made both of this foul shots after getting hacked going up for a shot, and had another chance for an and one off a put-back but missed the free throw (pretty ugly I might add).  From 12:06 to the 6:33-mark, he scored 10 points.
• Freshman forward DeVon Walker was the first seldom-used freshman to enter the game and he immediately asserted himself by grabbing an offensive rebound on a Wilbekin miss and was fouled in the process.  He made both free throws.
• Assistant coach John Pelphrey lit into freshmen Walker, Dillon Graham, and Braxton Ogbueze after the game for their sloppy play in garbage time.  They combined for four turnovers in their limited action.
• This was the 11th time (out of 15 games) that the Gators have held their opponent to under 60 points.
• Final score: Florida 68 - Texas A&M 47

Selected stats (all Florida stats unless noted)

Field goals made/attempted= 25/50 (50.0%)
Three-pointers made/attempted= 7/20 (35.0%)
Free throws made/attempted= 11/13 (84.6%)
Rebounds/offensive= 28 rebounds/9 offensive
Fouls= 13
Assists= 16
Turnovers= 11
Steals= 9
Texas A&M turnovers= 16
Blocks= 1
Points off turnovers= n/a
Points in the paint= n/a
Second-chance points= n/a
Fastbreak points= n/a
Bench points= 4
Guard rebounds= 7
Texas A&M offensive rebounds= 16

Officials= Joe Lindsay, Ted Valentine, and Doug Sirmons
Attendance= 11,046

What's Up Next

In a quick turnaround, the Gators return home to face the #17 Missouri Tigers (13-3, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday (1/19) at 2:00 p.m.  Missouri, along with Kentucky, is expected to compete with  Florida for the SEC crown.  However, the Tigers' leading scorer, senior forward Laurence Bowers (16.8 ppg), is expected to miss the game as he still recovers from a sprained knee that he sustained against Alabama in their SEC opener.  The game will be televised on ESPN and on the radio on WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network.  The pregame radio show begins at 1:25.  The game has been declared a sell-out, which will be Florida's first of the season.