Game recap: Florida Gators no match for No. 3 Alabama in blowout loss
The Florida Gators reach the end of a grueling stretch of their schedule with Wednesday night's date with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Can they close it out with another stunner?
Florida (13-10, 6-4 in SEC) is playing their third top-5 team in four games. They lost at then-No. 5 Kansas State before pulling off an upset in Gainesville against then-No. 2 Tennessee last week. UF is coming off a 72-67 loss at Kentucky on Saturday. Senior center Colin Castleton scored 25 points for his second straight 20-point effort.
No. 3 Alabama (20-3, 10-0) has not lost a home game yet this season. The Tide are led by freshman forward Brandon Miller, who sits atop the SEC scoring list at 18.8 points per game. He is also top-5 in rebounding, just below teammate and fellow freshman Noah Clowney.
Final score: No. 3 Alabama 97, Florida 69
The Gators (13-11, 6-5 SEC) suffer their third loss of the season by 20 or more points and most lopsided loss since falling 84-55 to West Virginia in the PK85 Tournament on Nov. 27. Florida center Colin Castleton with 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Gators with freshman guard Riley Kugel adding 15 points. The game was lost at the 3-point line as Alabama went 15 for 34 from 3-point range, while Florida went 4 of 14.
Florida still down 19 points
The Gators have shaved 10 points off Alabama's halftime lead, but still find themselves down 69-50 to No. 3 Alabama with 10:08 left. Center Colin Castleton with 25 points for Gators.
Florida cuts into lead
The Gators have at least shown some fight to start the second half. Florida still trails No. 3 Alabama 57-35 at first TV timeout if the second half and have outscored the Tide 12-5 to start the second half. Center Colin Castleton leads Florida with 15 points.
Jones returns
Myreon Jones back on the floor for the Gators to start the second half.
A rough first half for Gators
Florida enters halftime down 52-23 to No. 3 Alabama. Not much has gone right for the Gators. The biggest disparity is at the 3-point line. Alabama 9-17 from 3, Florida 0-5 from beyond the arc.
Myreon Jones out
Florida starting guard Myreon Jones was taken back to the locker room with trainer Duke Werner after taking a shot to the eye while being fouled. No. 3 Alabama up 42-20 on Florida with 2:54 left in the half. Just a rough first half so far for the Gators.
Alabama extends lead
The Tide are now up 33-15 on the Gators with 7:21 left in the half. Alabama 11-22 from the floor, 5-11 from 3-point range. Florida hasn't looked elite defensively since pulling off the 67-54 upset of No. 2 Tennessee last week.
Another slow start for Gators on the road
Florida down 15-7 to Crimson Tide at first TV timeout. Alabama off to a torrid start, 5-8 from the field, 3-5 from 3-point range.
Tune in update
Florida-Alabama will start on ESPN News, then switch to ESPN2 when the West Virginia, TCU game concludes.
What to look for:3 questions for Gators heading into SEC matchup game at No. 3 Alabama
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What time do the Florida Gators play?
9 p.m. ET Wednesday, February 8
Where is the UF basketball game tonight?
Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
What channel is the Florida game on?
ESPN2 (Channel 209 on DirecTV, Channel 143 on DISH Network)
How can I watch Florida vs. Alabama on live stream?
WatchESPN and ESPN+ (subscription required), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial), fuboTV (7-day free trial)
How can I listen to UF vs. Alabama on the radio?
Radio: WRUF (103.7 FM, 98.1 FM, 850 AM), Sirius XM (Channel 382)
Online radio: floridagators.com, siriusxm.com (Channel 972), tunein.com
What's the latest betting line for Florida vs. Alabama?
The Crimson Tide are a 9.5-point favorite over the Gators, according to Tipico, the oddsmaker for USA Today. The over-under is 148.5 points.