Florida upsets No. 9 West Virginia 88-71 in Challenge

“We’re obviously not 17 points better than West Virginia … we’ll take it”, White said according to The Independent Florida Alligator’s Alex Maminakis. The Gators hit 12 of 20 from behind the arc. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was clearly flabbergasted by Florida’s suddenly superb shooting.

Maybe the biggest key to Florida’s victory was that a team that shoots a modest 31.8 percent from behind the arc this season somehow sank 12 of 20 3-pointers. Kasey Hill had just four points on six shots, but timed them well, making a layup at the end of the first half and making two free throws in one trip in the second.

Both teams were forced to play short-handed up front Saturday, as they were both without a starting forward.

West Virginia forward Devin Williams (41) tries to shoot over Florida forward Schuyler Rimmer (32) and forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Gainesville, Fla. KeVaughn Allen finished with 16 points to lead the team. But after shooting 50.3 percent while scoring at least 80 points in three straight wins, the Gators shot a season-low 32.9 percent against the Commodores. Redshirt freshman guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez scored nine points, making all three of his 3-point attempts. Senior Jonathan Holton sat out for the Mountaineers because of a suspension, according to Raphielle Johnson of College Basketball Talk, while junior Justin Leon was out for Florida with a concussion, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

The teams had to be separated just before the national anthem, after Florida players took exception to West Virginia circling up on their side of the floor. Referees reviewed video of the incident but did not call any technical fouls. “It was the first inclination of what this game was going to be like”. West Virginia ranks 347th in the nation in fouls, averaging 24.2 per game.

West Virginia, on the other hand, is mired in a slump that it must break out of if it wants to compete with upcoming ranked opponents such as Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas and Oklahoma in the hard Big 12.

Florida: Former Gators Jason Williams and Lee Humphrey attended the game…. West Virginia had the nation’s best defense and nation’s best three-point defense entering Saturday, and got scalded for 88 points and a 60 percent clip. “No way in my mind did I think we would score 88 points against West Virginia”.