The bright lights of the Stephen C. O’Connell center cut into darkness as a glimmering spotlight shined onto the Florida sideline. The hype built slowly as the Gators starting lineup was introduced one by one.
Light cheers sprinkled as the list descended. The near-sellout crowd erupted as the household name they waited nearly a month to hear was announced: senior forward Colin Castleton.
The Michigan transfer was cleared to compete by the UF training staff just minutes before opening tip and proved to be the difference-maker Saturday as Florida (15-8, 5-5) captured a thrilling 60-57 overtime win against the Ole Miss Rebels (12-11, 3-7).
The Gators eked past the Rebels in extra time, 14-9, with a dagger from behind the arch by guard Myreon Jones with less than a minute left. Guard Tyree Appleby added to the lead and his double-double performance with six clutch free throws in overtime.
Castleton reclaimed his territory in the paint immediately, rejecting Ole Miss guard Austin Crowley on the game’s opening possession. Florida’s ensuing trip finished with an easy look for Castleton right at the basket.
The forward ended his night with 17 points and seven rebounds. Castleton also held his defensive assignment, Ole Miss center Nysier Brooks, to just 11 points and a -13 plus/minus.
Castleton expressed his enthusiasm over returning to the court throughout his team-high 35 minutes of action. The 6-foot, 11-inch big man chirped at the opposition on the court and even on the bench and demonstrated exceptional camaraderie with his teammates.
“I love just being able to be out there with my teammates and my brothers, it felt great,” Castleton said. “I was definitely tired but that's what comes with it, so I got to keep building that stamina back up.”
The matchup was deadlocked at nine before the Rebels began to take advantage of mediocre 3-point shooting by Florida. Ole Miss ignited an 11-0 run while the Gators continued to brick five-consecutive shots from downtown, dropping their 3-point percentage to 12.5%.
Florida’s scoreless streak was eventually snapped by a Castleton trip to the charity stripe, followed by consecutive jumpers by graduate guards Brandon McKissic and Phlandrous Fleming Jr.
The momentum shift sparked a 10-3 Florida response to bring the game back to a one-point margin. Ole Miss turned the table again before halftime with nine unanswered points and went into the locker room leading 30-21.
Florida head coach Mike White recollected his squad during the break and drew up a game plan to subdue the Rebels offense after returning to the floor. Florida came out with an aggressive defense, pressing the opposition moments after the ball handler crossed half court. The strategy pressured Ole Miss into scoring only three points and not making a field goal until the 9:45 mark of the second half.
The game returned to a 32-point stalemate and the teams started to trade uppercuts like they were in a heavyweight bout for the remainder of the matchup. Freshman Kowacie Reeves returned to his sharpshooting ways and delivered a few jabs of his own, swishing two consecutive tries from behind the arc.
White recognized that his team narrowly escaped the Rebels in the post-game press conference.
“It could have gone either way so easily and you're just searching offensively and defensively late first half,” White said. “I mean, we're in a tough spot. Ole Miss was controlling the game and controlling the glass to a high degree, in a good rhythm and played with confidence.”
The Gators now prepare for an evening matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs Wednesday. Tipoff from Gainesville is set for 6:30 and will broadcast on SEC Network.
Contact Jesse Richardson at jrichardson@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @JesseRich352.
