The Florida Gators fell to the Florida Atlantic Owls, 76-74, on Monday, which marks the first loss of the Todd Golden era at UF.
FAU dominated from beyond the arc all game but they were especially hot in the first half. Florida had few answers for the Owls’ shooters and it cost them the game in the long run.
Colin Castleton once again scored 30 points (and posted his first double-double of the year with 12 rebounds), but the Gators’ offense was weak any time anyone had the ball. In fact, it seemed like there were very few plays in tonight’s playbook that ended with anyone other than Castleton shooting the ball. The Gators have tons of work to do on both offense and defense if tonight is indicative of the team’s true skill.
True, Florida is coming off a pair of wins, but Stony Brook hardly put up a fight and the signs were there against Kennesaw State. In truth, it’s unsurprising to see Florida stumble this early in the season against a non-conference opponent, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds following its first loss of the season.
Here are five thoughts from Florida’s ugly loss to FAU on Monday night.
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Florida Atlantic was lights out from deep in the first half, draining 8 of 13 attempts, and there was little Florida could do to stop it. Despite an 11-rebound advantage in the half, FAU kept pace largely due to lackadaisical coverage by UF. Michael Forrest and Johnell Davis both shot 100% from beyond the arc, and Florida’s guards were often seen chasing after them as they released their shots.
The Kenesaw State game was closer than it needed to be because of weak defense, and Florida Atlantic clearly watched the tape to develop a successful game plan against UF. There’s no doubt that the Gators will be working on perimeter defense over the next few days. Change has to be made to beat Florida State on Friday.
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Look, Castleton is Florida’s best player, at least for right now. That being said, giving him the green light after a monster 33-point game didn’t work out. He shot 3-for-12 in the first half, including a pair of bricks from three after making his first.
To his credit, Castleton caught fire in the second half and gave Florida a lead, but there was a clear shift in offensive philosophy after halftime and his 30 points weren’t enough to secure a win. That’s concerning for an SEC team that has to face the likes…
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