AUBURN, Ala. – Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit back-to-back threes with the Gators facing a 40-37 deficit with just under two minutes remaining in regulation and the Florida defense held Auburn scoreless during the final 3:30 of the contest, helping the Gators defeat the Tigers 45-40 at Auburn Arena Thursday night, The victory was Florida’s 13th in the last 14 meetings between the teams and its eighth straight against SEC West opposition.
The Orange and Blue began the game attacking Auburn inside, scoring its first 11 points on an array of lay-ups and dunks, and led 11-8 six minutes in. A10-0 Auburn run put the Gators behind by seven before UF received a spark from its bench. Five quick points from freshman guard Scottie Wilbekin (Gainesville, Fla.) and two rebounds and a rejection that saved what looked like a certain Auburn deuce in transition by freshman swingman Casey Prather (Jackson, Tenn.) kept Florida close in the middle part of the first half.
Points were at a premium for both teams throughout. Florida trailed 24-18 after a three-pointer by Auburn’s Earnest Ross with 6:51 left but the Tigers did not score the rest of the half, allowing the Gators to close within 24-23 at intermission. Despite shooting just 8-for-29 (27.6 percent) from the field, Florida stayed in striking distance by pounding the offensive boards, corralling nine offensive rebounds that resulted in eight second chance points.
The teams exchanged baskets in the second half with neither team leading by more than four heading into the last five minutes of the game. Two Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) free throws put Florida ahead 37-36, but the lead was short-lived as Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel scored on a lay-up off a backscreen and then had a follow dunk on the next possession, giving the Tigers a 40-37 edge which they held at the final media timeout.
With Florida searching for a basket, Boynton elevated over his defender and buried a triple from the top of the arc to knot the score at 40. Walker came up with a steal on the ensuing possession and when senior forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) found him on the left wing—well behind the three-point line—the junior guard hit the go-ahead three with 1:14 remaining.
After a Tiger timeout, Walker again made a game-changing play. Auburn guard Earnest Ross drove into the paint and crashed into a set Walker, who drew a critical charge to keep Florida’s slim advantage intact.
The Gators came up empty on their next possession but managed to use the entire shot clock, leaving Auburn with only 20 seconds left. Ross was unable to connect on a corner three and Wilbekin secured the rebound and passed it to Walker who was fouled. The Brooklyn native knocked down both free throws as the Gators improved to 4-0 on the road this season.
Walker was the lone Gator in double figures with 12 points and added five rebounds, while the Florida defense limited Auburn to 18-of-48 (37.5 percent) shooting in the contest.
Kenny Gabriel paced the Tigers with 12 points.
The Gators will next host Arkansas on a quick turn-around at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Saturday at 8 p.m. The game can be viewed Sun Sports/FOX Sports Florida.
