For the first 27 minutes, Miami and Florida went back-and-forth, trading runs in a game that looked primed for a final possession finish.
The Gators, though, changed that narrative quickly.
With a little over 13 minutes to play, UF’s 52-49 advantage turned into as much as 23 down the stretch as it shut down the Hurricanes offensively and defeated Miami 78-58 at TD Arena in the semifinals of the Charleston Classic on Friday.
Early in the game, Miami controlled play.
The Hurricanes (4-2) held a 14-8 lead with 14 and a half minutes to go in the first. That’s when UF coach Mike White called a timeout to settle his guys and regroup.
That stoppage of play was exactly what the Gators (4-2) needed. UF found a rhythm on both sides of the court and went on a 17-0 run to take back control of the contest.
Miami hung around, however, and a jumper from guard Kameron McGusty cut UF’s lead to five at the break.
The Gators were led by center Kerry Blackshear Jr. in the first half with 13 points (5 of 6 from the field, 3 of 3 from three) and four rebounds. Blackshear Jr. played a huge role in the team’s victory with 20 points and 11 boards after being a non-factor on Thursday against St. Joseph’s because of an ejection.
The second half was arguably Florida’s best half of the season to this point.
A team that was a common Final Four pick during the preseason showcased why with suffocating defense and high-flying offense that left a pro-Florida crowd with plenty to cheer about.
And nothing got that crowd more amped than the emphatic, tomahawk dunk by forward Scottie Lewis (13 points, eight rebounds) off of a steal and dish by guard Andrew Nembhard (eight points, nine assists).
That bucket put the Gators up 17 and was a part of the 21-2 run UF manufactured to put the game out of reach.
As a team, Florida was searching for answers on offense coming into the tournament.
Fortunately for the Gators, they’ve found their stroke so far, shooting 53.6 percent from the field (30 of 56) and 52.6 percent from three (10 of 19) against the Hurricanes.
Florida’s stiffest challenge of the tournament will come Sunday night against the winner of Friday night’s Xavier-UConn matchup.
The Huskies beat Florida on Nov. 17, and Xavier is undefeated and the only ranked team in the field at No. 18.
Follow Evan Lepak on Twitter @evanmplepak. Contact him at elepak@alligator.org
Kerry Blackshear Jr.
