Teams rarely have a chance to avenge a non-conference loss in college basketball.
The Gators did. And they did a lot more than just avenge it.
Florida opened the game with an improbable 21-0 run. The Bulldogs didn’t sink their first field goal until nearly nine minutes had passed.
The Gators took advantage of the disastrous Butler start, hitting 10 of their first 14 shots. They never let up in a 77-43 victory over the Bulldogs.
UF only shot 34.6 percent in a 61-54 loss to Butler on Nov. 23 in the Bahamas, but the script flipped in Gainesville.
UF (8-4) showed how dominant it can be when it pairs effective offense with its stiff scoring defense, which ranks 21st in the nation. Florida shot 66.7 percent behind the three-point line in the first half.
Butler (9-4) won the first matchup by holding the Gators’ offense to 22 second-half points. But Florida jumped out to a 25-point first-half lead this time around, and the hapless Bulldogs offense couldn’t find its shot, managing only 18 points in the first 20 minutes of play.
True freshman guard Noah Locke continued to demonstrate why coach Mike White has kept him in the starting lineup for the last month. He led Florida in scoring with 12 points, including a 3-of-6 mark from downtown.
Junior forward Keith Stone appears to be finding his shot as well. He also scored 12 against Butler. After a slow start to the season, he is averaging 9.3 points per game in the last six contests.
UF neutralized Bulldogs leading scorer Kamar Baldwin, holding him to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting. He scored 19 when the two teams met in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Florida controlled the boards all game, out-rebounding Butler 46-18.
What it means
A blowout win over the Bulldogs could be just what White’s squad needed going into conference play. The Gators have played a challenging slate so far, but they also missed opportunities to earn resume-buffing wins, namely a four-point home loss to current No. 8 Michigan State.
ESPN’s Bracketology has UF in the Last Four In category. The Gators are by no means a lock to make the NCAA Tournament right now, but by avenging an ugly loss to the Bulldogs, Florida should enter the SEC schedule with momentum on its side.
Follow Tyler Nettuno on Twitter @TylerNettuno and contact him at tnettuno@alligator.org.
Gators forward Keith Stone scored 12 points in the Gators' 77-43 blowout of Butler and is averaging 9.3 points per game in the last six contests.
