/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6168049/20121229_ajl_su8_047.0.jpg)
Kenny Boynton has been in a slump for almost a full month, and needed a get-right game in the worst way. He got it in spectacular fashion on Sunday against Yale in Florida's 79-58 win — and he got a school record, too.
Boynton stroked eight three-pointers on eight tries from distance, giving him 289 in his career and breaking a school record previously held by Lee Humphrey. The threes fueled a 28-point effort from Boynton that ended tying his career high as a Gator, and exceeded his output from deep in the last six Florida games, when Boynton made just seven of 39 threes.
That more than made up for Florida missing Erik Murphy, who sat out of a game designed as his homecoming with bruised ribs. Will Yeguete (14 points) and Mike Rosario (13 points) joined Boynton in double figures, and Scottie Wilbekin posted a career-high 10 assists. Yeguete led Florida in rebounds with nine, Casey Prather had nine points and six rebounds, and the Gators forced 16 turnovers, made 60 percent of their shots, and assisted on 19 of 30 buckets on the day.
But the story is obviously Boynton, and his return to form, even if it came against a team that defends the three poorly and lacks the athleticism to challenge his shot that he'll see in the SEC. He needed to shoot his way out of his slump as much as Florida didn't need him to shoot his way into it, and today's staggering performance suggests that he might be on the way back to being a constant threat from beyond the arc.
And if he can be dangerous from deep in March, Florida can win a national title.