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No FSU hangover, Gators dominate Milwaukee 81-45

Nov 18, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Tyree Appleby (22) reacts to a call during the first half against the Milwaukee Panthers at Billy Donovan Court at Exactech Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Tyree Appleby (22) reacts to a call during the first half against the Milwaukee Panthers at Billy Donovan Court at Exactech Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

As nearly 40 NBA scouts piled into a half-full O’Connell Center Thursday night to watch Patrick Baldwin Jr., Florida's roster of Division I misfits and transfer portal gems put on a clinic against the projected lottery pick and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

While no one on UF’s roster brought Baldwin’s freakish frame and remarkable versatility to the floor, the Gators suffocating team defense and beautiful ball movement powered UF to a dominant 81-45 victory.

Florida’s oppressive man-to-man defense limited Milwaukee to just 30 percent shooting from the field and 13 turnovers as the Gators pounced on the Panthers from the opening tip. Despite matching up against a much longer UWM roster, the Gators feasted in the interior through quick penetration, strong ball movement, and Castleton’s dominance on the low block.

Tyree Appleby glided to the rim for the first points of the day for UF, and Castleton scored six points in the opening four minutes to give the Gators a 10-2 lead at the under-16 media timeout. Milwaukee found some offensive spark after a number of broken plays for the UF defense, as Baldwin hit a long two from the wing and Markeith Browning II split a pair at the line to bring the Panthers within four.

But after throwing his name into the NBA Draft during the offseason, Castleton was eager to show the NBA representation in attendance his expanded skill set. The Michigan transfer received the ball at the top of the key in the next possession, jab-stepped, and buried a long two-pointer. And after a Duruji three, Castleton posted up, spun, and finished through contact to give the Gators a 25-14 lead at the under-8 media timeout.

Five straight points from Phlandrous Fleming, who had a breakout offensive game with 12 points on 5-11 shooting, extended the Gator lead to 14 with a layup and a three-pointer, but a late steal and a nifty finish from Baldwin narrowed the UF advantage to 11 heading into the locker room.

After what UF players and coaches described as a second-half letdown during their season-opener against Elon, the Gators suffered no such dropoff out of the break Thursday. The Gators embarked on a 30-4 run in the second half, extending their lead to as wide as 39 about midway through the second half.

Myreon Jones, who was held scoreless throughout the first half, exploded out of the locker room a high-arcing three and an impressively-athletic dunk to put the Gators up 41-24. And after a slow shooting start from beyond the arc, the Gators grew to dominate every aspect of the game. UF shot nearly 40 percent from three on 28 attempts, while shooting 75 percent from the line and snagging 11 offensive rebounds.


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