Gator Men’s Basketball loses 13-point lead, falls to UConn 63-59

Free throws plagued the Florida men’s basketball team down the stretch as the Connecticut Huskies rallied from a 13-point deficit to put away Florida 63-59 at the O’Dome on Saturday afternoon.

The loss ends the non-conference portion of Florida’s regular season schedule as the Gators fall to a 7-6 record heading into SEC play.

With the Gators down by one with 39 seconds remaining, Alex Murphy missed two crucial free throws that could have had Florida tie or take the lead.

After two made free throws from U-Conn senior guard Ryan Boatright to stretch the lead to three, Florida big man Chris Walker also missed two free throws from the charity stripe with 21 seconds remaining.

The Gators combined to go an abysmal 8-for-20 (40%) from the free-throw line while the Huskies went 17-for-20 (85%).

“I thought our inability to rebound the ball in crucial situations hurt us (and) I think obviously the free throw line at the end of the game hurt us,” said Florida head coach Billy Donovan. “A lot of times when you are young, when you step into a program you think you can win by osmosis and it doesn’t work like that.”

“Right now, we don’t do enough things on a consistent basis to put ourselves in a position to win,” Donovan added.

Florida was able to contain Boatright to 14 points on only 2-of-11 shooting but allowed three other Connecticut players to reach double-figures as well.

Sophomore center Amida Brimah was a brick wall at the rim all night long. While receiving credit for only two blocks, his presence in the paint made life difficult for the Gators. Brimah also came down with 10 rebounds.

Dorian Finney-Smith led the way for the Gators with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Michael Frazier II could not find his groove shooting only 3-for-10 for eight points.

“You take three guys in particular from last year’s team (Frazier II, Finney Smith, and sophomore point guard Kasey Hill) and you’re asking those three guys right now to do a lot of heavy lifting and I think it’s been overwhelming for them to able to do that game-in and game-out, day-in and day-out in terms of what really goes into winning.”

Up next, the Gators will open up SEC play when they travel to South Carolina on Wednesday.

To listen to audio from the quotes above, click below:

Donovan on the main concerns he saw in the second-half

Donovan says his team needs a more competitive mindset moving forward

Donovan says Doe-Doe, Hill, and Frazier have struggled to lead this team

 

 

About Nikko Tan

Check Also

Orange & Blue Sports Network

Catch the student-led broadcasts from the College of Journalism and Communications right here.

LIVE THREAD: National Signing Day

Here’s an updated thread of all the recruits who picked the Gator hat today! RB …

AFC Divisional Round Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

During last weekend’s NFL Wild Card round, the Steelers made a statement by handing the Dolphins a …

Houston Looking For an Upset in Foxborough

The saying has always been “it’s hard to beat a good team twice,” and in …

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing each other once …

Possible Additions to McElwain’s Recruiting Class Visiting this Weekend

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, the Gators are hosting several talented …

Florida Gymnastics Prepares for Season Opener

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Gator gymnastics team will kick off their season this Sunday …

Surprised Gators Promote Randy Shannon To Defensive Coordinator? You Shouldn’t Be

Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain, announced Friday morning that Randy Shannon would be making the …

Quarterbacks in Spotlight for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card kicks off Saturday and the quarterback situations could not be any more different. On …

College Football Playoff Shakes Up Schedule

The College Football Playoff was a success in its first year. Yet, that doesn’t stop …

Michael Jordan Speaks out about Shootings, Police Officers

NBA great Michael Jordan opened up about his thoughts about shootings of African-Americans and the …

Treon Harris to Transfer

With the college football season approaching, the Florida Gators have announced that former starting QB …

USA Basketball Wins Second Exhibition Game

Just a few short days after their big win over Argentina, team USA won its …

Charlotte Is No Longer The Home Of The 2017 NBA All-Star Game

The House Bill 2 came between Charlotte, North Carolina and the 2017 All-Star Game. The …

Tampa Bay Rays Continue Series Against Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing their three-game winning streak. The Rays defeated the Oakland …

MLB Preview Tonight

It’s summer time—the best time to go to a baseball game and experience the atmosphere. …

Braves Begin Series With Rockies

The Atlanta Braves (33-62) open up a four-game road series with the Rockies (43-51) tonight …

Marlins To Close Out Series With The Phillies

The Miami Marlins are in the middle of a crucial ten game span against NL East …

Rays Crush Rockies 11-3, Face A’s Next

In the midst of a terrible season that has seen the Tampa Bay Rays (37-57) …

American League Second Half Outlook

The second half of the baseball season is in full swing which translates to? Pennant races. Teams …

National League Evening Preview

Tonight is a busy night for the National League in the MLB. Starting with the …

Big 12 Looks To Expand

Following a Tuesday meeting between Big 12 presidents, Oklahoma president David Boren announced that the …

LSU Looks To Capitalize On Its Opportunity

The Louisiana State University Tigers will enter the 2016 college football season with high expectations, …

Muschamp Helps Close Out SEC Media Days 2016

It wasn’t Will Muschamps first SEC Media Days experience, but 2016 marked the first time …

Phil Mickelson Leads British Open After First Day

The 145th annual 2016 British Open is underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. The …

Missouri’s Football Crisis: Rebuilding A Program

On the final day of SEC Media Days, Barry Odom took the stand as Missouri’s head …

Second Half Of MLB Season Begins

The All-Star Break is a good time for teams to rest up and reform themselves …

British Open Underway

The 145th Open Championship is already underway at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Welcome …

Moore

Florida Defensive Back Devin Moore Talks Gators

With the increasing popularity of the transfer portal and hot new recruits, college football is …