My dog started barking following the game and I was shocked to find Devan Downey shooting jumpers in my driveway. He was aiming in the general direction of Gainesville, about 120 miles away. He was draining them, even with me and the puppy jumping in front of him.
Tonight's 97-93 win by the Gators (19-4, 6-2) over South Carolina (16-5, 5-3) almost ended that way, even with the stellar two-way play of Erving Walker. Downey's 33 points almost sank UF on a night when defense was no where to be found. Six Gators in double figures, including 18 by Walker, prevented the Gamecocks sweeping the series. Walker had a very efficient line; 4-8 from the field, 7-8 at the line, 4 assists and 1 turnover. With the freshman on the floor, it freed up Nick Calathes (22 pts) and Chandler Parsons (14 pts, 10 reb) to just worry about getting open. And the pace of the game made Alex Tyus (19 pts, 7 reb) seem like a world beater, although we saw flashes of greatness which have been lacking from the sophomore. Had South Carolina shot better at the line (they were 10-22), this would be a different story.
Halfway through SEC play, the Gators are all alone in first place in the SEC East. The question is now; where do they finish?