Gators surge to 69-49 victory
Kenny Boynton scored 22 points, Chandler Parsons added 15 points and 12 rebounds and Florida overcame a slow start to beat Georgia Southern 69-49 Wednesday night to open the Legends Classic.
Vernon Macklin chipped in 15 points and seven boards for the Gators (2-0), who also face Troy, No. 2 Michigan State and either Massachusetts or Syracuse in the tournament.
Florida struggled in the first half, shooting 26 percent from the floor and missing all nine shots from three-point range. The Gators led 26-25 at halftime despite 10 turnovers and two assists.
Coach Billy Donovan probably ripped his players at the break, especially with his mentor, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, sitting courtside. They responded with a considerably better effort in the second half, scoring 43 points on nearly 50-percent shooting.
Rory Spencer led the Eagles (1-2) with 13 points.
Little went right for Georgia Southern after halftime. The team’s best play – certainly the funniest – came with 4:36 remaining. Johntavious Rucker overthrew Willie Powers III near the bench, and first-year coach Charlton Young caught the ball and faked a long-range jumper. He then tossed the ball to an official and strutted across the floor amid laughter and applause.
Florida earned an even bigger ovation when Parsons hit a three-pointer a few minutes earlier. For the second time in as many games this season, the Gators missed their first 12 shots from behind the arc.
Parsons snapped the 0-for-12 stretch with 31.2 seconds remaining Sunday against Stetson, extending the school record to 580 consecutive games with a three.
The game turned with Florida’s 12-0 run coming out of the locker room. The Gators pushed the ball across the court and got it inside, setting up much easier shots. The run included two dunks and two lay-ups.
Florida St. 80, Stetson 38: Deividas Dulkys led four Florida State players in double-figures with 13 points in a rout of Stetson.
The Seminoles (2-0) held the Hatters (1-2) to just three first-half field goals and used a balanced scoring attack to enter halftime with a 36-point lead. FSU held Stetson without a field goal for the final 11:37 of the first half.
Stetson finally ended its scoreless drought with Mark Lohuis’ three-pointer with 16:31 left in the game, but FSU led by as many as 49.
Florida State’s defense dominated, blocking 10 shots, forcing 17 turnovers and holding Stetson to 27.5 percent shooting.
Chris Singleton scored 12 for FSU, and Xavier Gibson and Ryan Reid each scored 11.
Tyshawn Patterson led Stetson with a game-high 15.