Defending Champs Thriving Behind Second-Half Surges

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Maybe the Florida Gators make good adjustments. Maybe they wear down opponents. Maybe they can turn it on when they need it most.

Or maybe they're just a second-half team.

The defending national champions certainly have been in the NCAA tournament, outscoring Jackson State and Purdue 116-70 in the final 20 minutes of their first two games to advance to the round of 16.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," center Al Horford said Monday. "It's good when you get a good start, but it's not going to make the difference in the game."

At least maybe not for Florida (31–5).

The Gators used key second-half runs to win both games last week. They outscored 16th-seeded Jackson State 24–8 in the first five minutes of the second half and finished with a school-record 71 points after the break.

They trailed Purdue by seven points in the first half and were down 33–29 early in the second. But they put together a 7–0 run, followed four minutes later by a 10–2 spurt to seize control for good.

"We go in at halftime and make a lot of adjustments," forward Chris Richard said. "We realize how people are playing us, what they're giving up on defense and how we need to stop teams. It's helped us a lot.

"But we'd rather find a way to pick it up so we're not this second-half team. Because if a team gets too far ahead of us, then we might not be able to catch up. We have to turn it up a notch."

The top-seeded Gators would like to play better from the start, beginning Friday against fifthseeded Butler in the Midwest Regional in St. Louis.

Coach Billy Donovan said several factors may have contributed to Florida's second-half surges.

It could be halftime changes. It could be his team's propensity to wear down opponents with their up-tempo offense, pressing defense, perimeter shooting and considerable size advantage in the post. It could be timely shooting.

It also could be an unfamiliarity with tournament opponents -- a definite change from the Southeastern Conference schedule.

"When you see two and a half, three months of the same people over and over and over, you know how tall, you know how quick, you get a much better feel," Donovan said. "In this tournament, there is no familiarity. This is the first time you're going on the floor and seeing them."

So it takes time to adjust.

The Gators experienced similar situations in the Final Four last year. Behind the 3-point shooting of Lee Humphrey, they turned games against George Mason and UCLA into routes early in the second halves.

Humphrey hit two 3s during a 20–6 run against the Patriots coming out of the locker room, then sparked a 13–4 spurt to start the second against the Bruins.

"I don't know exactly what it could be — halftime adjustments or just getting hot at the right time," Humphrey said.