Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
Box Score<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_12_6_TSUvsUF.PDF&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Cm5n3O_aEDTHZPZj42K8hj1MEhVqYsla-hF4opAC04LJlBqPJ7olf4LgLZOot4C3&s=Ufsav0gPxpT0-XW7wIlvJmCK12ukWQYJsWrll4xbX_U&e= > | Season Stats<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_11_9_2021-5F22-5FUFStats.pdf&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Cm5n3O_aEDTHZPZj42K8hj1MEhVqYsla-hF4opAC04LJlBqPJ7olf4LgLZOot4C3&s=4bxiPhVN48Oz_4zsnzYkDfyOSbBdXBI0UsMuMZGgBcc&e= >
Notable
* The Gators used their third different starting lineup combination of the season, starting grad transfer guards Brandon McKissic and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. alongside each other for the first time as Tyree Appleby came off the bench.
* McKissic led the Gators with 15 points, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, but the rest of the team went a combined 0-for-18 from beyond the arc.
* Texas Southern posted a 46-23 rebounding margin and scored 42 of its points in the paint, including 17 second-chance points.
(Texas Southern quotes attached.)
Head Coach Mike White
On what he has seen since the loss to Oklahoma…
“A couple of days ago, we weren’t good in practice, and yesterday we were really bad. It was the first time we had a lengthy meeting after practice about how we performed in practice, it was the first tough practice in terms of just being completely out of character. Obviously as a staff, we had some concern coming into this one… This is not who this team is, this is not who this program is. We were thoroughly out-played, out-coached, out-everything, I told Johnny he did a great job. I thought their front court was amazing, their bench was great, they doubled us up on the glass, and we were thoroughly out played.”
On if he sensed the team was not themselves…
“At halftime, absolutely. I would never say they, I’m leading this thing. It starts with me. I was worried about how we played for sure. We got off to a start in which we, again, were fouling early, didn’t defend the glass, didn’t block out as well as we should have, didn’t rotate out of the post defensive situations that we had, gave them some open threes, they had a couple of last clock baskets where I thought they settled in with their confidence level and they were great. They were really good, Johnny was really good, the two guys off the bench – Nicholas and Henry – I thought were fantastic. But, we obviously have to play a lot harder than that, and we have every game to this point. I’m looking forward to meeting with our guys tomorrow and see what we can come up with.”
#12 Colin Castleton, Senior Forward
On Texas Southern’s offensive efforts…
“We didn’t play as hard as we should have and we have to do a better job. I let the team down, I let myself down. We just have to do a better job.”
On what it was like in the locker room after the game…
“Just disappointed. We weren’t in the right mindset, we didn’t take care of the job… Just disappointed.”
#23 Brandon McKissic, Senior Guard
On Texas Southern’s defense and if they took anything away…
“They didn’t take anything away. Credit to Texas Southern, they played a great game, but they didn’t take anything away. We didn’t play to best of our capability. A lot of our frustration are on offense right now.”
On the rebounding issue…
“Rebounding was a part of the issue, they out rebounded us by a lot. It takes a team effort and we just have to get back to the team that we are. We have to get back to being us. Defense is the root of this team, we define ourselves on it. We have been letting offense dictate and we have to get back to letting defense dictate.”
