Gators Dominate Tigers, 81-66

2/26/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!           




       GAINESVILLE, FL:  LSU would travel to Gainesville to rematch Florida in a huge SEC contest on Wednesday night. After a poor first half, the Tigers would have no second half comeback in them tonight, as the Gators simply outplayed LSU in ever phase of the game. The Tigers played sloppy and sluggish on offense throughout the night, as several starters would struggle badly.  Defensively, LSU seemed slow and flat footed the entire game, as the Gators played fast and executed well all night long, blowing out the Tigers, 81-66.                                   
      The Tigers would begin the first half as flat as a pancake, and found themselves quickly down 9-0 to an aggressive Florida Gators team that started the game with tremendous ball movement and red hot shooting.
      LSU wouldn't score their first points until Emmitt Williams would manage a dunk at the 16:32 mark. Over the next six minutes, Florida would outscore LSU, 20-14, for a commanding 29-16 lead with 9:50 to go in the first half.
      The Tigers would battle tough to get back into the game, but could only pull within ten points of the Gators as they just couldn't match Florida's intensity. The first half would end with Florida holding a 41-31 lead.
      The Gators scored 11 points off of six LSU turnovers during the first 20 minutes. Florida also dominated the Tigers down low, as they would outscore LSU, 34-14 in the paint. Trendon Watford would lead LSU in scoring at the break with nine points. Emmitt Williams added eight.      
      Both teams would start out trading baskets over the first three minutes of the second half,  until Florida would slowly start to pull away. Scottie Lewis would make a three pointer to give Florida a 55-39 lead at the 14:27 mark.
      With 10:21 to go in the game, Emmitt Williams, who lead the Tigers in scoring on the night with 25 points, would score six unanswered, doing all he could to keep the Tigers in the game. But LSU simply could find no answer on defense for the Gators' attack.
      Down 70-55 with 5:31 left on the game clock, James Bishop would come off the bench for LSU and score five straight to cut the lead to ten. The Tigers would then have a couple of opportunities to cut the Gators lead to single digits, but simply couldn't take advantage. LSU would go with out a basket during the last three minutes of the contest, only managing a couple of free throws. 
      A big part of the Tigers' trouble was the play of guard Skylar Mays, who all season long has been the heart and soul for LSU. It simply wasn't his night, as the team's senior leader who averages 16 points per game, finished with only three total points.  Trendon Watford played with great effort all night and would finish with a double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds. Darius Days (6 points) and Javonte Smart (8 points) both struggled.
      With the loss, LSU is now 19-9 overall, 10-5 in SEC play.     
      Next up, LSU will host Texas A&M on Feb. 29, Saturday at 11am in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. 




2/26/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!