The inner state rivalry takes yet another game into this historic collegiate battle. Tonight, the two Men’s Basketball programs go head to head at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. Both teams stand at 3-0 on the year, and tonight’s matchup will be the first test for both teams. If the Gators want to make a run for the tournament, this is a great spot to start. Let’s see if Florida can secure another victory at home.

The first half was all Florida…actually, it was dominated by Florida, just check the score (39-19). Alex Tyus and Ray Shipman lead the way with 8 points a piece, while Erving Walker added 7 points. Dan Werner is 2 for 2 from beyond the arc, but Kenny Boynton still hasn’t hit from deep, in fact he hasn’t even registered a basket yet. But after one half, the Gators are proving that they are a legit team in the SEC, and as long as they can continue to play defense for their upcoming game against Top 5 Michigan State, Florida could possibly be able to pull a major upset over a national powerhouse. But barring any crazy incident, the Gators appear to have locked up another win, and will look to add on some more points in the second half.

1st Half Stats

The second half saw a near successful comeback executed by Florida State, but the Gators would eventually settle down, and put the game away. The Gators were lead Alex Tyus, Erving Walker, and Kenny Boynton, all of which had 13 points each. Boynton scored all of his 13 points in the second half, with 7 of those points coming from the foul line. The win puts Florida at 4-0 going into a tough week ahead, where they will face Michigan State this upcoming Friday. The Gators will need to be able to convert from beyond the arc, and play solid defense if they want to pull the upset of the Spartans.