Lack of offensive consistency doomed Florida basketball once again on Saturday.

The Gators (7-4) fell to Utah State (12-2) 65-62 after a cold start from the floor, going 0-from-14, and only netting their first field goal at the 11:06 mark.

Florida's defense did manage to keep Mike White's team in the game, allowing them to shake off that horrible start offensively and closing the half going 9-of-17 shooting and heading into the locker room tied at 27.

"It's a shot-making game, you've got to make shots," White said at halftime. "I liked our shots early, I actually like our tempo, the way the ball's popping a little bit against a really good team, a really good defense. We've got to convert at a higher level, especially around the rim."

Florida relied heavily on Kerry Blackshear, who went 3-for-14 from the floor but went 15-for-17 from the charity stripes. He finished the game with a double-double, netting 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Although the Gators kept it close, scoring droughts raised their ugly head again in the second half, allowing Utah State to come back and win the game.

Aggies guard Sam Merrill led the side with 21 points and nine boards, hitting eight of his last 18 shots, while forward Justin Bean added 12 points and nine boards in the win over Florida. The Aggies used a 7-0 run in the final four minutes to take command of the game.

The Gators finished shooting 20-for-62 from the floor (32.3%) and 4-for-17 from 3-point range (23.5%).

Freshman guard Scottie Lewis was the only other Gator in double figures with 11 points and five rebounds. Keyontae Johnson, who has recently been a great spark for Florida, only managed six points and snatched seven boards in the loss.

This was a missed opportunity for White's team to secure a good win for its tournament resume, days after the side's best win.

The Gators will have a few days off for the holiday before returning home on Dec. 28 to face Long Beach State (3-9). Florida will then start conference play on Jan. 4 against Alabama.