East Panhandle News

That's how many shots Florida made during the first half of its game Wednesday night at Texas A&M. Repeat: Two. Specifically, the Gators went 2-for-26 from the floor (that would be 7.7 percent) to take their habit of starting Southeastern Conference games at a crawl to an altogether different level.

But as is this UF team's way, it was anybody's game in the final minutes, as the Gators' ability to defend kept matters close enough to make it a mostly one- or two-possession affair over the final eight minutes. In the end, however, it was Florida fifth-year senior guard Myreon Jones getting walled up as he launched a contested buzzer-beater that fell well shy of the basket and let the SEC-unbeaten Aggies escape Reed Arena with a 54-52 win and seventh straight victory.   

"It shouldn't have come down to that," Jones said after his team had a three-game winning streak snapped "We should have done things way before and not been in that position."

Like maybe make a third, fourth or even fifth shot in the first half, for example. Think about it: Had the Gators (10-8, 3-3) shot the ball at just 19 or 20 percent the outcome could have been totally different. Twenty-five or 30 percent, they likely leave the Lone Star State with a decisive victory.

Instead, Aggies' guard Wade Baldwin's four free throws, plus a run-out dunk by Tyrece Radford in the final 1:01 provided the cushion the home squad needed to remain one of two teams (along with No. 4 Alabama) without a loss in SEC play, while also notching a fourth straight win in the series. A&M very likely will makes its Associated Press Top 25 debut next week. 

Forward Julius Marble led all scorers with 19 points, while front court mate Dennis Dexter had a flex-worthy game of 11 points and 16 rebounds. Taylor, who's had major hands in each of those four consecutive wins over the Gators, had eight points, four rebounds and five assists, but was stymied in real-time to a 2-for-15 night, including 0-for-5 from the 3-point line, as the Aggies (13-5, 5-0) were held to 35.5 percent for the game.

Florida (26.2 percent, 6-for-26 from distance) would have killed for A&M's shooting problems.

"We have to figure out something to stop digging ourselves that hole," said UF forward Colin Castleton, who in posting 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots became the first league player since Kentucky's Anthony Davis in 2012 with a stat line of those minimums. "We have to change that. It's not good. It's not a good identity to win basketball games."

The Gators did not score their first points until Jones hit a 3-ball at the 16:24 mark, yet they trailed just 4-3 at the time. Unfortunately for UF, the next field goal came — get this — 12 minutes and 41 seconds later, with just under four minutes to go in the period. And even then, the Gators trailed by only six and went to the locker room down 23-12.

"I was trying to be positive because we did a lot of good things on the defensive side to hold them 23 points," Florida coach Todd Golden said. "When you make two field goals in a half you should be down 30."

After a dozen first-half points, the Gators scored 40 in the second half … and it was two less than they needed.

A 12-4 run to open the period made it a one-possession game and UF stayed within striking distance the rest of the way. Only once did A&M go up by as many as seven, with the Gators twice clawing within two — first on a driving layup by Castleton with 7:48 to go, then on a Castleton slam off a lob with 1:40 to play — until freshman guard Riley Kugel, after three offensive rebounds, buried a 3-pointer with 29.6 seconds to go that closed the Gators to 50-49. 

After a timeout, Taylor drew a foul and knocked down a pair with 23.3 seconds left, taking the margin back to four. At Florida's end, Jones missed a driving floater that was rebounded by Castleton on the block, but his put-back try was swatted away from behind by Andersson Garcia, who grabbed the rebound and threw upcourt for the breaking Radford, who in turn threw down for a five-point lead with eight seconds left. Checkmate, right?

Nope. A Jones 3 made it a two-point game with five seconds to go. On the inbound, Garcia got mixed up in a scrum and fumbled the ball into the Florida bench with 2.5 seconds remaining.

As officials reviewed the play, Golden called for a triple option on the inbound; throw over the top to Castleton in the post, find Will Richard for a pop-out 3 or Kugel in the corner. The Aggies, with the 6-10 Marcle on the in-bounder and using switches, defended the sequence perfectly. The ball got to Jones above the 3-point line, shaded left, and closely guarded.

Jones tried to head fake and draw a foul on the release, but officials didn't bite. Afterward, Golden conceded a no-call was the right call.

There were too many other things that didn't go right for his team. Especially early.

"You never want to be down early in the game, but at the same time A&M is a very good defensive team. It's hard to score on those guys," said Golden, who (again) praised his players for fighting through the frustration of shots not going in the basket. "And it's not like [the Aggies] were lighting the nets up, either. It was a back-and-forth, grind-it-out game. I wanted us to step up and make a few more of the open opportunities we had, but it is what it is." 

And it's not what it isn't.

Two made shots in the first 20 minutes is unfathomable. So is the notion of missing 24 of 26 and still having a chance to win on the game's final play. Is it consolation? Of course not. But it's all the Gators were left with for the flight back home. 

Original source can be found here.