Field Level Media
Jan 27, 2018
Guard Chris Chiozza scored a game-high 20 points and guard Jalen Hudson added 17 as Florida broke out of a shooting slump in a big way Saturday afternoon to blitz Baylor 81-60 in a Southeastern Conference-Big 12 Challenge matchup in Gainesville.
After shooting 37.7 percent overall and going just 12 of 51 from 3-point range in splitting their last two games, the Gators (15-6, 7-2 SEC) were 14 of 25 from behind the arc and 27 of 52 (51.9 percent) overall against the Bears (12-9, 2-7 Big 12), who struggled with 40.0 percent shooting and trailed the entire afternoon, usually by double digits.
Chiozza had 15 of his points in the first half, including 13 in a row at one point, while Hudson scored 14 in the second half.
Forward Tristan Maston scored 14 and guard-forward Mark Vital had 11 for the Bears, who lost their fourth in a row.
The Gators had an answer just about every time the Bears seemed on the verge of getting something going. When the Bears trimmed a 58-42 deficit down to 58-48 with just under 11 minutes left, Hudson responded with eight consecutive points, six on back-to-back 3-pointers, to put Florida up by 18.
Florida's biggest lead was 24 points, 75-51, with just over four minutes left.
The Gators came out firing, hitting eight of their first nine 3-point attempts in building a 37-22 lead with just under five minutes left in the first half. The Bears were within 40-31 in the final minute, but guard KeVaugn Allen's 3-pointer at the buzzer got Florida back up by double digits 43-31 at the break.
The Gators shot 58.3 percent (14-of-24) overall and 75 percent (9-of-12) on 3s in the first half while the Bears were 12 of 30 (40.0 percent) overall and 22.2 percent (2-of-9) from behind the arc.
-- Field Level Media