It began with just under four minutes remaining in Wednesday’s contest. “We want Klatsky! We want Klatsky!,” the student section chanted as the clock continued ticking towards 0:00.
Finally, with 2:45 remaining, Florida head coach Mike White gave the crowd what they wanted and walk-on Alex Klatsky entered the game.
Although he didn’t score any points and finished the game 0-1 from the field, his presence meant the Gators did something they didn’t do on Monday, took care of business.
The Gators dominated North Florida en route to a 85-55 win.
Florida was led by Colin Castelton, who posted a career high 26 points and eight rebounds. Myreon Jones added 14 points, but hit just 1-5 from behind the three point line. Tyree Appleby was the only other double digit scorer, finishing with 13 off the bench for the Gators.
Florida’s defensive intensity returned after a two game hiatus. The Ospreys turned the ball over 28 times with 21 of those being stolen by the Gators’ defense. Additionally, UNF made just 35% of their attempts from the floor and just 5-21 from deep.
The Gators move to 7-2 on the season and will face Maryland in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational on Sunday in Brooklyn, NY. The game is set to air on Big Ten Network and will tip-off at 4:30 PM.