GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a matchup between the SEC’s two highest ranked squads, the 10th-ranked Florida Gators handed the 17th-ranked Missouri Tigers an 83-52 shellacking at the O’Connell Center on Saturday afternoon.
Florida (14-2, 4-0 SEC) jumped out to an 11-0 run on a layup by Erik Murphy, and the rout was on. The Gators took a 35-13 lead on a 3-pointer by Michael Frazier II with 5:19 to play in the first half. The Gators led 40-23 at the break.
Missouri (13-4, 2-2 SEC) never led in this game, and the Gators led by at least 16 points the rest of the way. A 3-pointer by Kenny Boynton pushed the Gators’ lead to 70-45 with 6:49 to play.
The Tigers failed to get in a rhythm offensively, as they shot 32% from the field and 24% from beyond the arc. The Gators had the hot hand all afternoon, shooting 59% from the field and 42% from 3. Florida crushed Mizzou on the boards, outrebounding the Tigers 30-19. Mizzou also had 22 turnovers to Florida’s 16.
Jabari Brown led the Tigers with 16 points, while Keion Bell had 14. The Gators had four different players score in double figures. Scottie Wilbekin added a double-double with 13 points, 10 assists, and three steals.
Missouri will host head coach Frank Martin and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.