GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Senior forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) scored 16 points, senior forward Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) added 13 and sophomores Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Erik Murphy (South Kingstown, R.I.) each chipped in with 10 points as Florida (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) kicked off the 2010-11 season with a 77-60 victory over UNC Wilmington Friday night.
Florida trailed by five points early, but swarming full-court pressure helped create 20 UNC Wilmington turnovers and the Gators attacked the offensive glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds en route to a comfortable win. The Gators led by as many as 24 late in the second half before cruising the rest of the way.
The Gators won their 20th consecutive opener and are now 15-0 in season-openers under head coach Billy Donovan.
The game was back-and-forth in the first half with Florida clinging to a 29-26 lead with less than two minutes in the first half when the Gators made their move. A three-point play by Parsons doubled the advantage and then Walker followed with a three on the next possession to stretch the lead to nine. Parsons then closed the half with a jumper just before the buzzer to put the Orange and Blue up 37-26 at intermission.
In the second half, Florida gradually extended the lead and utilized its depth as 10 Gators saw action in the first 6:04 of the frame.
Florida freshmen Patric Young (Jacksonville, Fla.), Scottie Wilbekin (Gainesville, Fla.), Will Yeguete (Bourdeaux, France) and Casey Prather (Jackson, Tenn.) combined for 10 points, seven assists, five steals and four rebounds highlighted by Wilbekin’s three points, five assists and four steals in an active defensive effort.
Chad Tomko led the Seahawks with 15 points, while Trevor Deloach added 14.
The Gators continue their five-game homestand with a marquee match-up against Ohio State (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) on Nov. 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the O’Connell Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.
