FINAL: FLORIDA 94, LITTLE ROCK 71
| 1st | 2nd | OT | FINAL | |
| LITTLE ROCK | 27 | 44 | X | 71 |
| FLORIDA | 56 | 38 | X | 94 |
GAINESVILLE, FL- The Florida Gators were eager to see their new home. Florida has played neutral site and road games for the first eleven games this season. Head coach Mike White prohibited players from “catching a peek” of the new digs, as the team finally saw the results on Tuesday. On Wednesday though, Florida had to play their first true home game of the year. The Gators faced the Little Rock Trojans. Last year, Little Rock knocked Purdue out of the NCAA tournament as a 12 seed.
Florida came out extremely well, as they raced to a 9-0 lead before Little Rock was forced to call a timeout. The timeout didn’t help. Florida hit 21 of their first 28 shots in the new building. At halftime Florida was shooting almost 70%, including 56% from behind the three-point arc. Florida coasted easily in the second half as eleven players saw action.
Florida was led by Devin Robinson with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Robinson shot 7-11 from the field and 4-5 from three-point land. Keyvaughn Allen added 19 points on 70% shooting. Canyon Barry scored 15 points off the bench, and Florida fans finally got to see Barry’s under-handed free throws, as he sank all four of his attempts. Kevarrius Hayes (12) and Kasey Hill (11) also scored double-digits for the Gators.
Florida was once again playing without center John Egbunu, who has an injured hamstring. Hayes got the start at the five position, while Schuyler Rimmer saw meaningful action as well.
Little Rock was led by forward Lis Shoshi with 19 points and 4 rebounds, while Andre Jones (14) and Oliver Black (11) added double-digit points.
Florida will face Arkansas in Fayetteville on 12/29 to begin SEC play.
ATTENDANCE: 10,665
RECORDS:
- LITTLE ROCK: 9-4
- FLORIDA: 9-3
Team Stats:
| LITTLE ROCK | FLORIDA | |
| FG % | 50 | 60 |
| 3-PT % | 31 | 52 |
| FT % | 73 | 77 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 8 | 10 |
| Total Rebounds | 24 | 33 |
| Assists | 11 | 20 |
| Steals | 3 | 8 |
| Blocks | 2 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 13 |
What’s Next:
FLORIDA GATORS at ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
DECEMBER 29, 2016 at 9:00 PM
SEC NETWORK
Florida must never let their facilities degrade because for recruits, it may be the difference for getting a commitment. I look forward to visiting this arena, as I never saw the O’Connell Center since I graduated in 1976.