Calathes flirts with triple-double in win
Associated PressPublished December 6, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Nick Calathes flirted with the second triple-double in school history, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds and nine assists and leading Florida to a 91-52 victory against out-manned Florida A&M on Wednesday night.
Former Florida star Corey Brewer recorded the program's first triple-double in 2005.
Calathes probably could have joined Brewer in the record books, but coach Billy Donovan pulled the freshman guard with nearly 5 minutes to play and the game well in hand.
Calathes finished 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Fellow freshman Adam Allen added 19 points for the Gators, and Marreese Speights chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jai Lucas had 11 points as the Gators improved to 9-0 against Florida A&M.
Larry Jackson and Oliver Prince led Florida A&M with 14 points apiece. The Rattlers (2-6) shot 29 percent from the floor and were dominated 44-27 on the boards.
The Gators (9-1) were bigger, stronger and faster at every position. They shot 63 percent from the field and were 12-of-24 from behind the arc.
Florida trailed 5-2 shortly after the tip, but then used a barrage of 3-pointers and a 24-0 run to go up big.
Walter Hodge, Allen, Lucas and Calathes each made a shot from behind the arc in the run. Calathes and Allen each added another to push the lead to 36-13 late in the first half.
Florida shot 61 percent from the floor in the first half and led 44-20 at the break. The Rattlers, who have lost three in a row, were 7-of-29 from the floor and 3-of-11 from 3-point range.
It didn't get any better in the second half.
The Gators opened the final 20 minutes with a 17-0 run, showing the kind of intensity Donovan wanted with the big lead, and turned it into a laugher. Once again, Florida used good ball movement to get open looks and knocked down more 3-pointers.
Calathes and Allen had 3s in the spurt, then Lucas hit consecutive long-range shots to make it 61-20.
FAMU went more than 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal, not quite as bad as the 8-minute drought the Rattlers endured during Florida's first-half run.