Thanks to a late surge against Richmond, Florida’s home winning streak is alive.
Despite struggling to find rhythm offensively throughout most of the game, the No. 12 Gators (11-2) closed out the contest on an 18-8 run to escape the Spiders 67-58 on Saturday afternoon and notch their 23rd straight victory in the O’Connell Center.
The Gators started off strong early, taking an 8-3 lead almost six minutes into the game. But Richmond soon crawled back and hung with the Gators for a good portion of the contest. Poor three-point shooting – the Gators shot 1 of 9 from behind the arc in the first half – did not help Billy Donovan’s team’s cause.
The Gators did not attempt a free throw until the 11:34 mark of the second half and were cold at the charity stripe, shooting 10 of 19.
But in a span of 3:21 late in the game, Florida went on a 12-0 run to take a 61-50 lead with 1:27 left. During the run, Richmond missed its three shots and committed three turnovers.
Florida took off after both Patric Young and Casey Prather drew fouls on made shots in the paint. Both players’ and-ones lifted the Gators to a 55-50 advantage with 3:50 left.
After a Scottie Wilbekin steal on the following play, Dorian Finney-Smith gave UF its biggest lead since the first half, draining a three from the right wing. Florida added to its lead with two free throws from Michael Frazier II 1:25 later.
Frazier led the way with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Young recorded 15 points and six rebounds. Finney-Smith scored only five points but grabbed a team-best 13 boards.
Following a rough first-half performance that saw him shoot 1 of 9 and miss all four of his three-point attempts, point guard Scottie Wilbekin went 3-of-4 shooting in the second half for 10 points and only two assists.
Lindsay Cedrick led the Spiders (10-5) with 19 points.
The Gators have now wrapped up their non-conference slate and will begin Southeastern Conference play on Wednesday at home against South Carolina at 7 p.m.
Follow Landon Watnick on Twitter @LandonWatnick.
Florida point guard Scottie Wilbekin (5) attempts a layup against Richmond on Jan. 4. Wilbekin tied his career high with 18 points Saturday against Arkansas, including eight from the free throw line.
