Gators pound Eagles in 2nd half
GAINESVILLE (AP) – The last time Nick Calathes started a game on the bench he was 7 years old and playing on his older brother’s 10-and-under Amateur Athletic Union team.
His streak ended Wednesday night against Florida Gulf Coast.
Calathes “failed to meet a level of preparedness” leading up to the game, coach Billy Donovan said, and sat out the first 4:19 of the game.
Calathes struggled with the move at first, then had one of the best halves of his career. He finished with seven points, nine assists, four rebounds and no turnovers as Florida beat Florida Gulf Coast 94-60 Wednesday night.
Donovan refused to say exactly what Calathes failed to do and added that some non-starters also were guilty of not being ready. Calathes stood out because he had started 44 consecutive games for Florida.
Even with Calathes coming off the bench, the Gators still got off to slow start.
The Eagles (2-6) were up 28-27 late in the first half, thanks mostly to Reed Baker’s five three-pointers, but Florida (7-2) pounded the ball inside using its height advantage and pulled away after the break.
The Gators, who opened a 30-point lead with about five minutes to play, finished with a 44-32 edge on the boards. They had 17 offensive rebounds. Alex Tyus had 19 points and eight rebounds.