Florida snaps losing streak, 83-74

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Billy Donovan has another 20-win season, and this one has exceeded his expectations.

Nick Calathes scored 22 points, Alex Tyus added 16 and the Gators snapped a two-game losing streak with an 83-74 victory over Alabama on Wednesday night.

The Gators (20-6, 7-4 SEC) pulled into a four-way tie in the East and won 20 games for the 11th consecutive year, the second-longest streak in league history. Tubby Smith holds the record with 12, 10 at Kentucky and two at Georgia.

This one has impressed Donovan more than any of the others, especially since he played without Marreese Speights (NBA), Jai Lucas (transfer) and Adam Allen (injury).

“These guys have exceeded my expectations this year,” Donovan said. “There’s a lot of things that we’ve had to overcome and battle and deal with this year. I look at are they meeting my expectations on the practice court? Are they trying to do everything I’m asking them to do? Are they trying to put themselves in a position to grow and get better? I think they’ve done that.

“They want to win, but they need to understand what goes into winning to win. Unfortunately, there’s going to be growing pains and some heartache going forward. They’re meeting my expectations in terms of their work ethic. Now, are they the most talented, physically gifted group in our league? No, not even close. But they’re doing the best they can.”

Alonzo Gee scored 17 points to pace the Crimson Tide (13-12, 3-8), which has dropped four in a row and nine of 12. Senario Hillman had 15 and JaMychal Green added 12 points and 15 boards.

The Gators had two shots at getting win No. 20 last week, but lost close road games against Kentucky and Georgia. They had an easier time Wednesday — but only because Alabama self-destructed.

The Crimson Tide had 13 turnovers and missed 10 free throws — mistakes that offset all Alabama did to slice into a 16-point lead.

The Tide pounded the ball inside in the second half, finishing the half with 14 offensive rebounds and 28 points in the paint. It wasn’t enough, but interim coach Philip Pearson blamed the loss on Alabama’s defense.

“Defensively, we didn’t do near enough,” he said.

Florida shot 50 percent in the first half and led 47-35 at the break. The Gators also finished with 17 assists and 17 offensive boards. The biggest difference, though, was at the free-throw line.

The Tide was 7 of 16 from the free-throw line in the second half. Still, Alabama cut it to 75-68 with 2:35 remaining.

Florida responded by hitting eight in a row from the stripe — the team’s biggest weaknesses in several close losses. Walter Hodge sank two, then Calathes followed with a pair. Erving Walker’s two with 39.3 seconds left made it 81-72, sealing the win.

Walker, who added two more in the closing seconds, finished with 13 points.

“There’s going to be no easy games,” Florida’s Chandler Parsons said. “There’s going to be no freebies. There’s going to be a lot of adversity we have to face. Getting a lead and holding a lead. We’ve just got to play the same we do at the beginning of the game at the end of the game.”

The Gators finished 19 of 24 from the line. They were even more effective from long range, hitting 10 3-pointers.

“If we get up and down and going and getting open shots for each other, we’re a tough team,” Calathes said.

But is Florida an NCAA tournament team? The Gators faded down the stretch last season, losing eight of their last 11, and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.

Donovan openly acknowledges his team’s flaws, the kind missing from Florida’s two-time national championship team that featured Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey.

But Donovan believes this team has done a good job overcoming those blemishes to reach 20 wins.

“I see them really, really trying hard,” Donovan said. “They’re not Noah, Horford, Brewer, Green and Humphrey. They’re not those guys. It’s not even about them upholding the standard of what those guys did. It’s about them creating their own legacy and their own thing.

“Our program right now is at a point where these guys have got to learn what goes into winning, how to win, how to compete. A year ago, these guys didn’t even practice hard. It was a nightmare going to practice every day. Now, they’re starting to understand the work ethic that’s involved. Now, they’ve got to understand the commitment.”