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The Gator men’s basketball (5-3) team defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers (1-5) 102-62. Trey Bonham and Kowacie Reeves had phenomenal performances that contributed to a dominating victory. Despite Kyle Lofton and Will Richard sitting out, Florida didn’t skip a beat.
WIIIIIIIIIIN ⚡️#GoGators | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/cvLzGe37eO
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 1, 2022
Gators Put On Offensive Clinic
Florida had itsr best offensive performance of the season by far. After not playing a minute against West Virginia on Sunday, Kowacie Reeves opened the game with an electric dunk. He would go on to score 19 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. Trey Bonham was great yet again as he finished with 23 points, going a perfect 7-7 from beyond the arc.
The Gators as a team were very efficient. They shot 62% from the field and 59% from the three-point line. It seemed as if everyone who got in the game had a spurt where they scored consecutive buckets. Alex Fudge had the first double-double of his career coming off of the bench. He had a few thunderous dunks that got the crowd going.
Winning the game by 40 points was a statement by the Gators. They had a rough holiday tournament and needed a game to get them back on the right track. They practiced very hard this week and it paid off from the second the game tipped off.
7:24 left in the 2nd half.
The #GoGators are hot. The lead is now 40.@GatorsMBK – 84@FAMU_MBB – 44#ChompChomp pic.twitter.com/GdNImktZNN— ESPN 98.1 / 850 WRUF (@ESPNGainesville) December 1, 2022
Coach Golden On Team Improvement
After a brutal loss to West Virginia, Florida coach Todd Golden needed to head back to the drawing board and fix a handful of issues. The Gators needed to work on transition defense. Golden made sure to emphasize it in their recent practices leading to tonight’s game. It was apparent that the practice worked as they forced many turnovers in transition.
Another area that Golden addressed was Kowacie Reeves and his lack of playtime. He knew that giving him the opportunity to play in today’s game would bring out a fire in him.
What’s next for the Gators?
Florida has a few days off until their match up with the Stetson Hatters on Sunday. They’ll look to get their second straight home victory before welcoming in a top-ranked U-Conn team next Wednesday.
