Facing rival Florida State, the Florida Gators clamped down on the defensive end for an 82-64 win to remain perfect at the O'Connell Center. Patric Young stood tall on the inside against FSU's front line, finishing with 15 points on a perfect seven for seven from the floor.
Mid way through the second half, an impressive sequence by Bradley Beal pushed the lead to 15 points. The fab frosh went inside for an thrilling dunk and then drained a three on the subsequent possessions off a Scottie Wilbekin steal. Beal's big second half helped salt the game away over the final ten minutes, with the Gators enjoying a comfortable double digit lead. He finished with 21 points in one of his best games of the season.
Including Beal and Young, the Gators had five players in double figures as they poured it on in the second. Kenny Boynton had a terrible shooting night, hitting just two of nine attempts from three, but finished with 14 points. Erving Walker finished with 11 points and Erik Murphy added 12.
As for the Seminoles, turnovers and poor shooting did them in on the road against one of the best teams in the country. The Gator defense forced the Noles into 19 turnovers - a problem they have struggled with at times this season. FSU was just seven of 23 from behind the arc, as the fell behind by twenty plus in the second half and could not shoot their way back into it.
Both teams will now enjoy the holiday weekend, with Florida traveling to Rutgers next week and FSU hosting Princeton.
For more on the Gators, visit SB Nation's Florida blog, Alligator Army. For more on the Noles, visit SB Nation's Florida State blog, Tomahawk Nation.