UF opens season with rout

On an afternoon when 3-point shots kept clanking off the iron, Florida forged a different identity in its season-opener against Stetson.

Defense, not offense, carried the Gators to a record-setting 74-46 win Sunday over the Hatters at the O'Connell Center. Florida held Stetson to just nine points through the game's first 17 minutes, building a 39-17 halftime lead.

How good was Florida's defense in the first half? The Gators held Stetson to 20.1-percent shooting from the floor, blocked four shots and forced nine turnovers, four coming from the press.

Granted, it was against a Stetson team with no starters taller than 6-foot-7. But before a paid crowd of 10,077 that included prized 2010 recruit Brandon Knight and former Gator and current Orlando Magic point guard Jason Williams, it was a gritty performance.

"It wasn't a pretty game by any means," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "One thing I was pleased with was that, and I've said this before, when your offense is struggling, it can really bleed over into your defense. I really thought that our guys did a good job with the level of resiliency with having an offensive performance that wasn't great."

The 46 points were the fewest allowed by a Florida team in Donovan's 14 seasons as coach. Florida also held Stetson to 28.6-percent shooting from the floor, besting the school's previous best for defensive field goal percentage in the modern era against Florida State (31 percent) on Dec. 3, 1963.

"Our defense got a lot of stops, that was our main priority this year," junior forward Alex Tyus said. "We made it happen."

For the second straight season, Florida's 17-year streak of making at least one 3-pointer in a game was in serious jeopardy. After going 0-for-12 from 3-point range, Florida junior Chandler Parsons made a 22-foot 3-pointer with 31.2 seconds left to extend the streak to 580 games. The last time Florida failed to make a 3-pointer was Jan. 11 1992 against Kentucky, when Lon Kruger was coach.

Parsons said he wasn't aware of the streak until Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley told him in the locker room after the game.

"I really had no idea but I noticed it got a little louder in the crowd when I made the shot," Parsons said. "I'm honored to keep the streak alive."

Last season, Dan Werner hit a 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to keep the Florida streak alive during a 1-for-16 3-point shooting performance against Southern Utah.

"I was thinking about it on the bench before Chandler hit the shot," Donovan said. "But really, it doesn't mean anything ... one of these days, we're not going to make a 3-pointer when I'm coach. And hopefully the world won't end in Gainesville."

Parsons led four Florida players in double-figures with 14 points in 24 minutes. Tyus posted his sixth career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton had 12 points and center Vernon Macklin provided a nice lift with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots after struggling in two preseason games.

Macklin got off to a shaky start, missing an inside layup and drawing an over-the-back foul on the game's first two possessions. But after a talk with Florida assistant coach Rob Lanier on the bench, the 6-foot-10 Macklin settled into his role. He scored four of his eight first-half points on putbacks off offensive rebounds.

"Coach Lanier just basically told me to relax," Macklin said. "I think I was trying to go out there and do too much."

Florida outrebounded Stetson 46-29, making up for an afternoon when the ball movement wasn't crisp. Florida had 18 turnovers to just 11 assists.

"We didn't let it affect us on the defensive end," Parsons said. "Guys weren't hanging their heads when they missed shots."

Contact Kevin Brockway at 352-374-5054 or at brockwk@gvillesun.com.