NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Once Udonis Haslem and Brett Nelson found
their favorite spots, Florida was OK.
The Gators, who reached the NCAA championship game last season,
settled down after a shaky start against Western Kentucky to win
69-56 Friday in the first round of the South Regional.
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Fri, March
16
Give Billy Donovan's team a lot of credit. The Gators have fought through injuries
all year long. Udonis Haslem was super in the matchup against 7-foot-1 sophmore Chris Marcus. Brett Nelson also hit some big 3's as Florida came back from an 11-point first half deficit.
Watch out for the Gators. They have enough talent to make a run, though the
next game against Temple will be very interesting. Nelson and Teddy Dupay
versus Lynn Greer and Quincy Wadley in the backcourt should be fun to watch.
More ...
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With Nelson bombing away from outside and Haslem taking over
inside, third-seeded Florida rallied with a 14-0 run early in the
second half and pulled away.
"It took us a while to get lathered up to play," Florida coach
Billy Donovan said. "We were too hopped up."
Haslem finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds and Nelson scored
19. The Gators (24-6) advanced to play Temple, a 79-65 winner over
Texas, on Sunday.
"In the second half, we finally started executing our offense
to get the shots we wanted," Nelson said. "Once we got a lead, we
just had to hold on and make our shots."
Said Haslem: "I think I came out and tried to make things
happen early. It didn't work out. But I was able to stay focused in
the second half and turn things around."
The Gators trailed 36-30 with 15:55 left before breaking loose
with 14 straight points.
"I could see our team have a lack of confidence in that run,"
Hilltoppers coach Dennis Felton said. "That's something we haven't
felt in a long time."
Western Kentucky (24-7), which did not beat any team in the
65-team tournament field, came out with a lot more energy and
emotion than Florida.
|  | | Florida coach Billy Donovan tried to pump up his team in the second half after trailing 36-30 vs. Western Kentucky. It worked. |
The 14th-seeded Hilltoppers rushed to an 11-point lead and were
confident, winking at each other after good plays. It was a superb
start for a team playing its first NCAA Tournament game since 1995.
Chris Marcus overpowered Florida in the opening minutes. The
7-foot-1 junior scored two early baskets, and seemed to be too much
for the 6-8 Haslem.
Nelson, one of the nation's top 3-point shooters, also had
trouble as the Gators struggled to a 26-26 tie at halftime.
In the second half, however, Haslem and Nelson got comfortable
quickly, and appeared to wear down the Hilltoppers.
Haslem had 18 points after the break and Nelson 12, with the
pair combining for 30 of the Gators' 43 second-half points.
The Gators also aggressively double- and triple-teamed Marcus,
holding him scoreless for nearly 25 minutes after his early
success.
"When I got the ball, they came on me quick," Marcus said. "I
didn't get the looks I normally get."
Marcus had 14 points and 16 rebounds. Nashon McPherson added 13
points and Raynardo Curry had 12 for the Sun Belt tournament
champions.
"Our lack of experience showed more than we wanted it to,"
McPherson said.
Florida lost two players to the NBA and two more to injury this
season, following its 89-76 defeat by Michigan State in last year's
title game.
The Gators lost in the Southeastern Conference tournament
semifinals to Mississippi, and came out flat against the
Hilltoppers.
Western Kentucky had its way at the start, taking a 6-0 lead and
holding the Gators scoreless for more than three minutes.
With Marcus hitting a couple of turnarounds in the lane, the
Hilltoppers raced to a 17-6 lead, forcing Florida into an early
timeout.
Asked what Donovan told the team at that point, Haslem laughed.
"Beep-beep, beep-beep-beep," he said.
The Gators' swarming defense eventually slowed down Marcus and,
led by Nelson's shooting, took their first lead on Haslem's basket
with 1:24 left in the opening half.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Western Kentucky Clubhouse
Florida Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Florida's Udonis Haslem recounts what Billy Donovan told the team when the Hilltoppers jumped to a 17-6 lead.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Billy Donovan on how his players remain composed on the court.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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