In UF’s first game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Erik Murphy propelled No. 13 Florida to a rout of LSU.
The 6-foot-10 senior forward notched career highs in scoring and rebounding with 27 points and 12 boards as the No. 1 seed Gators (25-6, 14-4 SEC) cruised past the ninth-seeded Tigers for an 80-58 victory Friday afternoon in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Murphy went 11-of-15 shooting and drilled 5 of his 7 threes, tying a career best.
“Shot were falling today,” Murphy said. “Coach (Billy Donovan) has actually been saying, ‘Just give good reps this week.’ That’s one thing that he focuses on. Every rep is a good rep, whether it’s in game or in practice.”
After tweaking his right knee during a non-contact drill in practice on Wednesday, Murphy wore a brace over his knee.
But in 25 minutes on the court, he did not look hindered by the injury.
Murphy was active from the get-go, scoring a right-handed hook shot 13 seconds into the contest. He pulled down seven boards in the first 10 minutes and scored 7 of UF’s first 11 points as Florida took an 11-5 lead early.
After Charles Carmouche’s outside shooting helped LSU cut UF’s lead to 18-17 with 9:55 in the first half, the Gators closed the half on a 25-11 run.
With 3.5 seconds left in the first period, guard Michael Frazier II buried a three-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer with LSU guard Malik Morgan’s hand in his face.
“Anytime you can make a shot at the end of the half, either way it gives you a little bit of momentum,” Donovan said. “I thought Michael made a tough shot.”
Entering the second half with a 43-28 advantage, Florida went on a 30-10 run and led by as many as 35 points.
After Florida fell 61-57 to Kentucky on the road Saturday, Donovan criticized the team for playing with a lack of “fire.” The Gators had five days to regain their edge in practice.
On Friday, that intensity was present.
“Coach really challenged us, because he wants us to be great,” center Patric Young said. “We challenged each other. We honestly left everything we had in those practices leading up to the tournament here. It really did help prepare us.”
Guard Kenny Boynton scored only two points on 1-of-7 shooting but notched a game-high seven assists. Point guard Scottie Wilbekin scored nine of his 16 points on three three-pointers from Boynton’s assists.
“He found guys in a lot of key situations and particularly found Scottie Wilbekin,” Donovan said. “I thought Scottie played very, very well offensively because he was on the receiving end of some things Kenny did for him. So you can absorb a rough shooting night.”
Frazier added 11 points and five boards, while Young scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Florida won the rebounding battle 47-27, as the Gators outrebounded the Tigers 25-13 in the first half.
“That’s a big thing for us, focusing on rebounding,” Murphy said. “That’s a big part of the game. I’ve put extra focus on it.”
UF held Johnny O’Bryant III, LSU’s top post threat, to eight points on 3-of-7 shooting and three rebounds and forced the center into foul trouble.
After scoring 24 points against No. 8 seed Georgia on Friday, Shavon Coleman recorded only seven points on a 3-of-9 clip.
Despite shooting 50.9 percent from the field, Florida struggled from the charity stripe. The Gators made only 11 of 22 free throws and missed their first six.
Florida held LSU (19-12, 9-9 SEC) to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and a 25.7 percent clip inside the arc. The Tigers shot 46.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Florida will face No. 4 seed Alabama in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a nationally televised game on ABC.
Said Murphy: “I know this happened right now, and [Donovan is] big about living in the moment, so this happens in the past.”
Television and radio broadcasts contributed to this report.
Senior forward Erik Murphy (33) attempts a pass during Florida’s 69-52 win against Kentucky on Feb. 12 in the O’Connell Center. The Chicago Bulls selected Murphy 49th overall on Thursday night in the 2013 NBA Draft.
