The Florida Gators (19-11 10-7 in SEC) used some stifling defense, holding the Alabama Crimson Tide (17-13 8-9 in SEC) to 30% shooting & winning 73-52 in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night. The visiting Gators were led by Guard Jalen Hudson, who led all scorers with 27 points & a defense that recorded six blocks & six steals.
The Crimson Tide scored the first six points of the game. As a matter of fact, the Gators were scoreless for nearly the first three minutes of the game until Guard Egor Koulechov hit a layup. Before Koulechov hit that layup, the Gators missed their four first shots. Meanwhile the Crimson Tide 6-0 run to start the game included a three pointer by Guard Dazon Ingram, assisted by Guard Colin Sexton & a layup by Forward Braxton Key.
After a free throw from Alabama's Forward Donta Hall, both teams went scoreless for over two minutes then Koulechov drained a jumper in the paint, which was the Gator's second basket of the game. And that Koulechov jumper started a Gators 10-0 run that included eight points coming from Hudson. Hudson started his scoring scooping in a layup, then hit back to back three pointers, making the score 12-7 Gators with over 11 minutes left in the first half.
Two free throws from Guard Avery Johnson Jr ended the Crimson Tide's nearly five minute scoring drought. And following a layup by the Gators Forward Keith Stone, Alabama got another free throw, this one from Hall. Meanwhile the Gators were able to maintain their lead by getting four free throws from Hudson, who for most of the first half was able to outscore the Crimson Tide on his own. And with two baskets from Koulechov, including a three pointer, the Gators were able to grab a 25-13 lead with over six minutes left in the first half.
Trailing 25-13 mainly because of going 14 minutes between baskets, the Crimson Tide got a layup from Key. But Stone followed that Alabama hoop with a three pointer & after a jumper by Guard KeVaughn Allen, the Gators led 30-15. And by outscoring Alabama 7-3 in the final three minutes of the half, the Gators went into halftime leading 37-18.
With the combination of Hudson, who had 12 points in the half & Koulechov, who chipped in 11 points in the first 20 minutes, the Gators shot 50% from the floor before halftime. Meanwhile, Alabama hit 4 of 30 shots & their 4 baskets were one less than Koulechov had in the first half. And if not for the 9 free throws the Crimson Tide hit in the first half, the Gators 19 point halftime lead would have been larger.
Although the first minute of the second half started slowly with just one hoop from both teams, that being a layup by Koulechov, both teams briefly picked up the scoring pace. And after a layup by Hudson, Alabama went on a quick 5-0 run to make the score 41-24. But a layup by Allen got the Gators by in the scoring column & ended that brief run. And two more baskets by Hudson, including a dunk after a steal pushed the Gators lead to 47-26.
The teams traded baskets just before there was just over 15 minutes left in the game as Sexton hitting a layup for the Crimson Tide, while Allen pumped in a three pointer for the Gators. But the next four minutes plus saw just one hoop & the Gators maintaining a large lead. And even when the Crimson Tide got 6 straight points from Sexton, the Gators lead was never threatened because Hudson & Allen matched those points.
With just under 9 minutes left in the game, Hudson drained a long three pointer making the score 61-34 Gators & the Crimson Tide got an answer to that three pointer when Ingram got a dunk. But that momentum was short-lived once Stone hit a three pointer for the Gators.
Alabama again tried to get another run started but again it wasn't long after the Crimson Tide put five points together that the Gators got a basket from Koulechov. And even after another 5-0 Crimson Tide run, ending with a three pointer from Guard John Petty, Alabama still trailed 68-48. And with the Gators outscoring the Crimson Tide 5-4 in the final three minutes, Florida bested Alabama 36-34 in the second half.
The Gators will look for their third straight win overall & third straight conference win when they host Kentucky in their final regular season game on Saturday at noon.