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_22_2021-5F12-5F22-5FUF-5Fvs-5FSBU.pdf&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Bs3SIIWYEesEY0o1KFMtOlh7mdNIl2jxgBOXOoBzwVZXBNxmMrZ_Ldm9s6OMU62d&s=2dbBKQtIul6jCkT7qXczjeQHio7X_lPr01cnC3TzJqc&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=Bs3SIIWYEesEY0o1KFMtOlh7mdNIl2jxgBOXOoBzwVZXBNxmMrZ_Ldm9s6OMU62d&s=lzRHt_2f3xBDsD07plfNR7jnA2ig2yTj7yClF6Tvn3Q&e= >
Records: Florida 9-3; Stony Brook 7-5
Notable
* Florida used its fourth different starting lineup of the season, as Myreon Jones missed the game due to health & safety protocols. The Gators got out of the gate with a 10-0 run and hardly looked back, leading 48-27 at the half and by as many as 31 points late in the second half before ending with a season-high 87 points.
* Phlandrous Fleming posted his first 20-point game as a Gator, the 31st of his collegiate career. Fleming shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range and is 9-for-14 (.643) beyond the arc over the last four games.
* Jason Jitoboh had a career day off the bench, posting personal bests of 12 points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
* UF kept the ball moving to the tune of 20 assists, led by Tyree Appleby’s seven, which marked his season high and matched his most as a Gator.
* The Gators posted double-digit steals (11) for the sixth time this season.
* Florida limited the Seawolves to 5-for-19 shooting from 3-point range, including a 3-for-17 start before SBU hits its final two attempts in the waning minutes.
Head Coach Mike White
On the team’s performance…
“Our focus was really good over the last three days, I would have been surprised if we didn’t play well in the first half. We had a sharp shootaround, and then in the last couple days of practice, the guys really embraced maintaining the level of focus necessary for the break. These games can be tricky, so I thought the maturity was pretty good.”
On the team’s defense in the game…
“We really extended the floor, especially in the first 20. I thought that maybe 15 minutes in was the first time we ran back to our half court man-to-man defense. I thought they started to get a little bit more comfortable and they have a lot of speed on the court. We had a sizeable lead and we just, for the first time in a long time, backed it off. But, from the tip, it was defending the three against these guys. They have a number of guys who can really stretch you off the catch and off the bounce, their actions in transition and press attack, and when guys are really dribbling at 28 feet, it’s a lot different than guys really dribbling at 19 feet. I thought we did a pretty good job at just extending and pushing them out a little bit. They have a good team and they are going to have a chance to win their conference.”
On Jason Jitoboh’s performance and progress…
“[His progress] started in practice. His conditioning and his rededication to, ‘I’m going to let coach play me. I’m going to help these guys that I care about.’ He’s had a really good three weeks and it’s carried over. He has a way to go, but he’s got a chance to be a good player. He did some good things tonight. It has to be his best game as a Gator. Hopefully he can build on this.”
#33 Jason Jitoboh, Junior Center
On his performance…
“Coach and the staff have been preaching inner confidence in me, telling me that I’m way better than I think. So, I’ve just been trying to play my role and get in the best condition that I can possibly get.”
On avoiding fouls…
“I feel like it’s just me being in better shape, being able to be in the right place at the right time.”
#24 Phlandrous Fleming Jr., Graduate Guard
On his performance…
“We talked about how we tried to pound them in the paint, try to get it in. We’ve got to make great passes out… I think we’ve got a lot of different play makers, a lot of different scorers and a lot of different guys that can pass the ball. I just got into that.”
On the team defense…
“That’s our identity. I think everyone can speed them up, I think we trust ourselves on defense and we’ve got a lot of individual defenders that make up a great team defense. We can pressure, pressure, pressure, and allow them to make some tough twos and no threes. They’re a really good three-point shooting team and that’s what we tried to do – not give them any threes. I think we did a pretty good.
We denied wings, denied as much as we can. We made them bounce it and made our size defeat their size.”
On having fun and attitude…
“I think it was a combination of both – getting in and seeing a few go in. We hadn’t been shooting as well as we’d want to, but seeing a few go in and turning them over at a high pace, I think that that’s what made it a lot more fun. Getting dunks, getting out of transition and seeing everybody score from around the floor, I think it’s a lot more fun than us missing a lot of shots.”
