GAINESVILLE — Vernon Macklin said he can deal with the pain in his right knee.
It’s sitting out games because of that injury that he couldn’t tolerate.
Macklin said he would fight through tendinitis and bone spurs by sitting out parts of practice and rehabbing his knee because he wants to be able to help 16th-ranked Florida, especially with big games against Florida State, Kansas State and Xavier in the next six weeks.
“I’m getting better right now,” Macklin said after the Gators’ 79-66 victory over Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night in front of 8,006 at the O’Connell Center. “I do a lot of treatment before the game, so I’m getting better.
I still feel the pain, so I’m not 100 percent yet.
Macklin said he first noticed the pain after the season opener against UNC-Wilmington on Nov. 12.
Macklin played pretty well on it Tuesday night. He grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds — nine in the second half — and scored five points and blocked three shots.
“I just chased balls, I guess,” Macklin said. “They came off the rim, and I was in my stance and ready to go rebound.”
Macklin helped the Gators (4-1) outrebound FAU (3-3) 45-30.
“Rebounding is a big part of the game, and we just tried to rebound well and go to the glass on offense, too,” said Alex Tyus, who had 19 points and seven rebounds.
Kenny Boynton led UF with 21 points, and Erving Walker added 14 points and six rebounds.
Former Gainesville High School standout Greg Gantt led five FAU players in double figures with 17 points.
Dennis Mavin, who played at The Rock School in Gainesville along with UF freshman point guard Scottie Wilbekin, had 10 points.
