10:03 pm | November 23, 2018 | Go to Source | Author: gatorsports
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Butler defeated Florida 61-54 to finish in fifth place Friday at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Gators (3-3) went 1-2 in the eight-team basketball tourney to finish in sixth place. Butler, which visits Gainesville on Dec. 29, improved to 5-1 after guards Kamar Baldwin and Paul Jorgensen combined for 35 points.
Baldwin scored 19 points while Butler hit several key free throws late to hold off Florida. Jorgensen added 16 points and three 3-pointers for the Bulldogs, who shot 50 percent after halftime and went ahead for good midway through the second half.
It was another bumpy offensive showing for the Gators, who struggled after halftime. Florida made 7 of 15 3-pointers in the first half, but shot 29 percent after halftime. UF made just 1 of 12 from the 3-point arc and 8 for 28 from the field in the final 20 minutes. Florida scored just 22 second-half points and made only 5 of 10 free throws.
Freshman guard Andrew Nembhard had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds with no turnovers for the Gators.
The teams traded runs and cold spells in the first half. The Gators took a 32-27 lead at the break by overcoming a 21-15 Butler lead built off an 11-1 run by going on a 9-0 spurt in 3:06 on 3-pointers by Keith Stone, Deaundrae Ballard and Nembhard for a 24-21 lead.
Nembhard, who scored his 11 points in the first half, and Noah Locke nailed 3-pointers late to give the Gators the lead at intermission.
Ballard left with under a minute left in the first half when he caught teammate Kevarrius Hayes’ elbow across the face and the hit drew blood. He wore a bandage over his left eye in the second half.
UF didn’t get much from seniors KeVaughn Allen and Jalen Hudson, who went 2-for-10 from the floor and 0-for-6 from the 3-point line. Hudson did not start for the second straight game.
Fourth-ranked Virginia got another test like coach Tony Bennett wanted, and fittingly it came from a team with a style that looked awfully familiar.
Perhaps that’s why the Cavaliers handled everything that came their way — from fighting through their off-target shooting to tussling with a preseason All-American — well enough to win the Battle 4 Atlantis championship.
Virginia (6-0) beat No. 25 Wisconsin 53-46 on Friday to claim the tournament title in a game that featured tough defense and plenty of clock-melting stretches that reduced the number of possessions, leading to a grind-it-out fight to the final horn. Wisconsin fell to 5-1.
Christian James scored 21 points to secure a place on the five-man all-tournament team in Oklahoma’s win in the third-place game 65-54 win over Dayton (4-2).
Jamuni McNeace added 16 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma (5-1), while Miles Reynolds also went 6 for 6 at the line in the final 34 seconds to stay in control.
Stanford (3-3) defeated Middle Tennessee 67-54 for seventh place. Middle Tennessee dropped to 3-4.
The Gators return home for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday against North Florida.
| BUTLER 61, FLORIDA 54 |
|---|
| FLORIDA (3-3) |
Stone 2-9 0-0 5, Hayes 3-5 3-5 9, Allen 1-5 1-2 3, Locke 2-6 0-0 5, Nembhard 4-6 0-0 11, K.Johnson 1-5 3-4 5, Bassett 0-2 3-4 3, Okauru 0-0 0-0 0, Ballard 4-9 0-0 11, Hudson 1-5 0-1 2. Totals 18-52 10-16 54.
| BUTLER (5-1) |
|---|
McDermott 2-7 2-2 7, Fowler 1-2 1-2 3, Baldwin 7-17 4-4 19, Jorgensen 6-12 1-2 16, Thompson 3-5 0-0 7, David 0-0 2-3 2, Brunk 1-2 1-2 3, Baddley 1-4 1-2 4. Totals 21-49 12-17 61.
Halftime_Florida 32-27. 3-Point Goals_Florida 8-27 (Nembhard 3-4, Ballard 3-6, Stone 1-4, Locke 1-5, K.Johnson 0-2, Allen 0-3, Hudson 0-3), Butler 7-21 (Jorgensen 3-6, Thompson 1-1, Baddley 1-3, McDermott 1-5, Baldwin 1-6). Fouled Out_Thompson. Rebounds_Florida 27 (Hayes 6), Butler 31 (Jorgensen 7). Assists_Florida 11 (Nembhard 7), Butler 11 (Baldwin 5). Total Fouls_Florida 14, Butler 17.
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