Columbia, S.C. – In a commanding performance where it led wire-to-wire, the No. 17/19 University of Florida men’s basketball team traveled to the Palmetto State and defeated South Carolina, 79-60, at the Colonial Life Arena, avenging its only home loss in Southeastern Conference play.
Florida blitzed South Carolina from the tip, making a concerted effort to play inside-out. After an Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) triple opened the scoring, Vernon Macklin (Portsmouth, Va.) and Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) combined for three unanswered lay-ups to put the Gators ahead, 9-0. Florida held the Gamecocks scoreless until the 14:38 mark when USC’s Ramon Galloway put them on the board with a three-pointer.
Two more Gamecock buckets drew them within two until the Gators scored on five-consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 24-15 with 7:53 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets until the final media timeout at the half. After the break, four consecutive lay-ups—one apiece from Walker, Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.), Patric Young (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, Fla.)—extended the Gator advantage to 14 before USC’s Bruce Ellington hit a three to close the half with the Gators up, 38-27.
The second stanza began with the teams exchanging baskets until a 15-7 surge from Florida put them in control. Parsons was the catalyst, as he jumpstarted the burst with a jumper before feeding Macklin and Boynton respectively for lay-ups on UF’s next two trips. Following the under-16 media timeout, the senior forward continued to take charge, burying a trey and then finding Young inside for a slam on the next possession, helping Florida take a 57-38 lead with 11:32 remaining.
South Carolina’s Brian Richardson drained two threes in a 40-second span to trim Florida’s edge to 14 but the Gamecocks would get no closer as the Gators cruised to victory.
With the win, Florida improved to 19-5 (8-2 SEC) and firmed its grip in the SEC East standings.
The Gators were paced by Walker, who scored a season-high 25 points on extremely efficient shooting. The junior point guard sank 7-of-9 attempts from the field, including 4-of-5 from downtown, and also converted 7-of-9 free throw attempts. Senior center Macklin totaled 16 points and six rebounds in only 21 minutes while Parsons continued to display his versatility by netting 14 points, 12 rebounds for his third-straight double-double—his sixth straight game with double-figure rebounds—and eight assists.
South Carolina freshman guard Bruce Ellington led three Gamecocks in double figures with 14 points.
The Orange and Blue return home on Saturday, Feb. 12, to face the Tennessee Volunteers at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
