Takeaways: Gators Overcome 16-Point Deficit to Defeat Oklahoma State 81-72

Three takeaways from the Florida Gators comeback victory over Oklahoma State at home.

Saturday afternoon, the Florida Gators comeback victory over Oklahoma State marked their second consecutive victory in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Following two tough losses during a two-game road stretch, the Gators returned home hoping to avoid what would have been the eighth three-plus-game losing streak of head coach Mike White’s tenure on Saturday.

With a loss tonight, it’ll be the 8th time in 6.5 years the Gators have registered a three-game losing streak (or more) under Mike White. #NotGood

— Jackson Ramer (@JacksonRamer) January 29, 2022

Falling behind by 16 in the first half, the Gators would have their backs against the wall on their home court. However, an inspired second-half performance saw them turn the tide, rallying from behind to topple the Cowboys, 81-72.

In light of Florida overcoming adversity after a slow start and without much help in the frontcourt, AllGators provides three takeaways from the contest that could prove monumental for a thin Florida roster to stay afloat in the final stretch of the 2021-22 season.

Florida wins when four players score ten or more. Simple fact, difficult task.

When Florida sees parity in the scoring department, the result usually ends favorably for White’s squad.

In seven of the Gators' 13 victories this season, four or more players have recorded ten or more points for Florida.

It’s proved to be a recipe for success this season. It was once again on Saturday.

The Gators were led by guard Tyree Appleby, who has been the focus of their scoring attack since Colin Castleton went down with a shoulder injury. Averaging 15.2 points per game in the last five contests, Appleby’s abilities as a shot creator have been on full display.

The biggest source of production comes from his comfortability stepping back off the dribble.

Step. back. 3.

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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 29, 2022

He recorded his highest point total of his collegiate career with 21 points en route to Florida’s comeback. He also aided his complementary pieces of Phlandorus Fleming Jr. (14), Kowacie Reeves (11) and Anthony Duruji (10) with four assists.

Florida’s sustainability offensively has been a growing concern, especially without the frontcourt presence and lackluster efforts from beyond the arc.

But, the blueprint for how to win is there: Distribute the ball evenly and success will follow.

The unlikeliest of hero’s excel during their rare time in the spotlight, calling for an increase in their minutes.

At the halftime break, the Gators trotted into the locker room down by 13 on their home court against a middle-of-the-pack Oklahoma State team.

Looking for a way to fire his team up, White resorted to a halftime speech centered around a word that doesn’t land favorably amongst a group of men in their late teens or early 20s.

“Soft. Soft. That’s all he said, soft,” said Appleby.

“No one likes to be called soft, but we played soft in the first half. We just did.”

As a result, White felt the need to shake things up heading out of the halftime break. The Gators would gain the spark they needed to surge back from the sizable deficit by employing two freshmen and two sophomores alongside Appleby.

That source of energy came from the unlikeliest of sources, sophomore guard Niels Lane and freshman forward Tuongthach Gatkek.

“I thought Niels Lane was fantastic,” White said. "It’s a good example for all young people and even his teammates that you can affect the game in so many ways. His energy level in press and half-court was evident.”

Producing at a level that had the Gators +14 when he was on the court — the highest of any player — Lane capitalized on his rare time seeing the floor. Recording two blocks and one steal in 13 minutes, Lane excelled doing the dirty work for the Gators defensively with his hustle.

“It’s crazy how one guy can bring it like that and it can rub off on one guy and that can rub off on the next guy,” White said.

He continued to say Lane’s efficiency was a byproduct of his ability to stay the course despite the adversity he has faced this season on the bench.

Without a veteran big man in the mix — following the eye injury Jason Jitoboh suffered on Wednesday in Knoxville — Gatkek would be plugged into the lineup with hopes that his length at 6-foot-9 could overshadow his thin makeup.

He, like Lane, proved to be a plus defensively. He was third on the team in +/- with Florida plus-ten when he was on the court.

In his 22 minutes, Gatkek flashed the potential to be more than a plug-and-play piece during his career in the orange and blue. Showing skills as a serviceable rim protector, Gatkek recorded three blocks on the day and held his own better than many would expect, according to White.

All in all, willingly deploying two players that have garnered little time to this point in the season — each recording at least nine “DNPs” — was Florida’s saving grace. They found the spark they needed off the bench to fight back against the Cowboys.

“Niels and Tun [Gatkek] stepped up,” Fleming said postgame. “They haven’t gotten as many minutes as they’ve wanted, but today they came in and make a great impact on the game.”

Going forward, the lack of depth in the frontcourt will force creativity where rotations are concerned.

Performances like those from the ninth and tenth players off the bench will be needed as Florida remains on the cusp of tournament play heading into the crucial month of February.

When the Gators play with high energy defensively, they’re borderline elite.

As stated consistently by White this season, this version of Florida is an emotional bunch that plays through peaks and troughs on both ends of the floor.

On Saturday, it was a tale of two halves.

The first half was a struggle defensively, characterized by undisciplined play in transition that allows OSU to find easy buckets early and often.

The second proved to be an example of a peak.

Despite allowing an uncharacteristic 45 points in the first half to an Oklahoma State team that came in as one of the worst long-range shooting teams in Division-I — ranking 333rd in the nation — Florida’s defense is what fought them back into the contest.

Applying pressure out of the halftime break, the Gators put the Cowboys on their heels. UF, after stringing together a slate of seven turnovers in a short period of time, went on to force 12 of OSU’s 16 turnovers in the second half.

The energy and full-court press made it difficult to find a rhythm in their half-court offense. The Gators totaled 11 steals — with eight players recording one — and six blocks on the day.

Florida’s defense proved vital in a lopsided final 20 minutes where the Gators outscored them 49-27, as it has in their successes all year.

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