In Billy Donovan’s milestone game Monday, the Gators made sure they weren’t the team feeling pressure.
Instead, they were the ones dishing it out.
Florida’s guard-heavy press helped forced 18 turnovers and a season-high 14 steals during a 26-point win against Stetson at the Amway Center in Orlando.
All but one starter, freshman Brad Beal, recorded a forced takeaway, leading to 19 points off turnovers. Though Beal didn’t have a steal in his 22-point, 10-rebound night, he stayed active defensively with a game-high three blocked shots.
“Our press is designed just not to get steals, but to just try to make the offense force turnovers,” Beal said. “So we just pressed early and coach Donovan said, ‘Attack the first pass on the inbounds (pass).’”
The Hatters had 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, thanks in large part to the work 6-foot-7 forward Will Yeguete did at the front of the Gators’ full-court pressure.
In his second start for the injured Erik Murphy, Yeguete led both teams with four steals. He also recorded his first double-double after scoring 10 points and notching a game-high 11 rebounds.
Florida can’t press as aggressively with the 6-foot-10 Murphy in the lineup, but Yeguete’s athleticism and ability to defend guards created a nightmare situation for Stetson in-bounders.
“We were tall, so it was hard for the offensive player to be able to make passes, and I think we slowed them down a little bit,” Beal said.
The 14 steals were the most the Gators have had in 39 games dating back to Nov. 18 of last year against North Carolina A&T, when Florida had 16 swipes and Yeguete, again, dominated the control of loose balls with a career-high 15 rebounds and three steals.
“We were prepared for it; I don’t know if we were ready for it,” Stetson coach Casey Alexander said. “To their credit, they speed you up and create turnovers no matter who they’re playing.”
While Florida tempered the use of its press late in the second half after center Patric Young and forward Casey Prather got into foul trouble, Stetson’s half court offense was still not able to take advantage of the slower pace.
The Hatters made just one three on 17 attempts, with the lone make coming on a deep bank shot by guard Dennis Diaz.
“I wouldn’t say that we eased off,” senior guard Erving Walker said. “Stetson is a physical team, and they got some good shooters, and their center was really good. They made plays at certain points of the game, so it wasn’t us just taking our foot off the brake there.”
Contact John Boothe at jboothe@alligator.org.
Florida guard Brad Beal (23) was active on defense despite being the only UF starter to not record a steal against Stetson on Monday. The Gators recorded a season-best 14 steals in the 96-70 win.
