The noise inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was deafening.
Guard Tyree Appleby dodged through defenders before pulling back outside of the arc to fire up a shot. But the senior’s second chance at heroism fell through as he missed and the horn sounded.
Maryland won the game.
The No. 20 Florida Gators men’s basketball team (6-3) fell victim to the Maryland Terrapins (6-4) 70-68 at the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational Sunday. The Maryland win marked interim head coach Danny Manning’s first win after former coach Mark Turgeon stepped down two weeks ago.
“We feel very confident in the young men on our team,” Manning said.
Forward Donta Scott drilled home a 3-pointer to increase Maryland’s growing lead and break the two-minute scoring drought that started the game. The Terrapins didn’t stop there, as guard Xavier Green stole the ball off of a bad pass from Appleby on the very next possession.
The Gators continually applied pressure as they fought from behind.
Center Jason Jitoboh lit up on the court throughout his 10 minutes of playing time. Ahead of the matchup, Jitoboh scored only nine points for the season, yet No. 33 recorded six points Sunday.
Resident Florida big man Colin Castleton trekked to the bench early after a pair of fouls. The senior played a mere seven minutes in the first half.
Neither team led by more than four points prior to a made free throw by Maryland guard Eric Ayala increased the score to 31-26 in the Terrapins’ favor.
After the first half ended knotted at 33, Florida began to heat up as the final frame began, but the elation failed to last long as Maryland doubled down with an 8-0 run.
Appleby halted in his tracks before leaping in the air and sinking a 3-pointer to muffle the Terrapins, bringing the Gators back within one.
Trash talk from Appleby landed him a technical, allowing guard Hakim Hart to record a free throw.
Guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. rallied Florida head coach Mike White’s troops. With 15 points and 11 rebounds, the graduate student earned his first double-double of the season.
Fleming wasn’t satisfied, though.
“We didn’t do what we were supposed to,” Fleming said.
The orange and blue defense couldn’t stop guard Fatts Russell. The Philadelphia native totaled 19 points throughout 37 minutes, identical to Ayala.
White said Russell and Ayala’s abilities troubled Florida from the start.
“We weren’t sharp enough defensively to play a high-level backcourt like that,” he said.
Appleby, who was scoreless in the first frame, remained aggressive and scored back-to-back 3-pointers within 11 seconds to dismantle Maryland’s lead
On the fast break, forward Anthony Duruji sliced through the red, white, black, and gold defense to cut to the rim. But the Gators couldn’t catch a break, as Castleton fouled out with 58 seconds remaining, and the win escaped them on Appleby’s empty prayer.
“We’ve got to be more disciplined,” White said. “That’s on me.”
Florida squares off against South Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic Saturday. Tip off in Sunrise, Florida, is set for 1 p.m. and the game can be streamed on Bally Sports Sun.
Contact Karina Wilson at kwilson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @kk_rinaa.
Karina Wilson is a third-year student at the University of Florida within the College of Journalism and Communications with a specialization in sports and media. She aims to produce engaging, accurate and current content for all types of sports fans. Currently, Karina is The Alligator's men’s basketball beat writer.
