Although Florida’s second half against Alabama on Tuesday clinched a share of the regular-season Southeastern Conference title, it may hold an even greater significance.
In turning a 30-30 halftime tie into a 78-51 romp, the Gators flashed the type of potential that led to a No. 9 preseason ranking and could make them a difficult out in the NCAA Tournament.
Florida performed at an incredible level on offense and defense after the break, shooting 69.2 percent — the Gators’ best mark of the season — and holding Alabama to 28.1 percent from the field.
“The second half was our fullest potential,” senior forward Alex Tyus said. “I felt like we played fantastic. And if we can do that for 40 minutes on a consistent basis, we’ll be great.”
“If we play the way we can play, up to our potential, I think we can beat anybody,” senior forward Chandler Parsons said.
UF demonstrated the type of inside-out attack coach Billy Donovan has sought to establish all season, scoring 18 points from beyond the arc and 22 more in the paint in the final 20 minutes.
The Gators even recorded a 6-to-1 assist to turnover ratio and outrebounded the Crimson Tide 19-13, slowly increasing their lead throughout the half before taking their biggest edge on the game’s final basket.
“We played special in the second half,” Donovan said. “We put together a half there that was really incredible.”
According to senior center Vernon Macklin, the change was due to little more than simply executing plays and getting the ball inside.
The explanation seems simple, but engineering a repeat performance could still prove to be a challenge.
Donovan knows his team is talented and experienced, yet he acknowledged that it has struggled to play consistently from one period to the next.
In 14 of the Gators’ 29 games this season, they have outscored their opponents in one half and been outscored in the other.
“The one thing that I’ve battled and struggled with ... is I see signs and glimpses of really special,” Donovan said. “You’re always trying to pull that out of them and trying to get them to do that more consistently. And it’s really hard, because if I had what it was that I could get them to do that, I would do it all the time.”
Donovan has consistently reinforced the principle of competitive maturity throughout the season, and his team finally appears to be getting the message.
“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time and not get cocky,” Parsons said. “Not get a big head, keep running our stuff, keep listening to coach Donovan and keep being the hardest-working team in the country.”
Whether they can carry through on those points, however, remains to be seen.
JESSE SIMONTON
