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Gators Drop SEC/Big 12 Challenge Matchup to Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State

The Florida Gators drop their ninth game of the season on the road against Keyontae Johnson's Kansas State Wildcats.

Photo: Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall

The final rendition of the SEC/Big 12 challenge included a reunion that transcended the fight for conference bragging rights. In that contest, the Gators fell victim to former star Keyontae Johnson and No. 5 Kansas State on Saturday evening, 64-50.

Despite a concerted comeback surge to begin the second half, the skill of the Wildcats at all positions proved too much for a sputtering Florida offense that shot just 31% from the floor and 18.2% from three on the evening.

From the tip, the Gators looked outmatched by the patchwork Kansas State roster assembled by Jerome Tang to take into year one. 

Experiencing common lapses on the offensive end, UF went into the locker room with just 16 points, a mark that would've been lower had Myreon Jones not knocked down two triples, a shot from the floor and a free throw to total nine first-half points.

It was the second-fewest points scored in any half in the last 25 years. The first fewest came against Texas A&M just four games ago.

The offensive stagnancy — shooting 21% from the floor — created a nearly impossible mountain to climb when the unit returned from half.

However, the most significant concern was its inability to stop the Wildcats' scoring attack. Led by Markquis Nowell, K-State produced a supremely efficient clip in the first half as he accounted for eight points and eight assists in the first half. Tang's squad shot at a 43.8% clip during that period — although it crashed below 40% on the night to provide a small victory for the Gators.

That came as a different Florida team emerged from the locker room in the second half.

Kickstarted by a step-back long two by Will Richard, the Gators' scoring attack found life to surge back into the contest. He added two more buckets, an assist to Jones for a layup, two offensive rebounds and a block to catalyze the comeback attempts. The intention on that end of the floor mimicked the production seen by Kansas State in the first 20 minutes.

Florida executed a 10-point run over the first 4:56 of the period to pull within 11 of the Wildcats. But, the Gators started to plateau from there. The deficit hovered around the 11-to-15-point mark until nearly eight minutes left, as Florida couldn't break through the glass ceiling KSU placed over its head.

The insurmountable lead built in the first half by the Wildcats proved to be just that as they forced Florida back into its first-half form to blow open the game. They took a 59-36 lead with 4:56 remaining off an emphatic slam from Keyontae Johnson, marking an exclamation point on their 18th win of the year. He compiled 13 points and 11 rebounds to complement Nowell in leading their unit to victory.

Nowell produced a near triple-double, totaling 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on the night.

Colin Castleton led the Gators with 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks the night, despite another slow night out of the gate due to frequent double teams when he received the ball inside. Jones posted 11 points and five rebounds. Riley Kugel posted a career-high six assists.

Florida's path off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament rests on its ability to steal a victory over one of college basketball's top contenders. The squad squandered the first opportunity to do so on Saturday. 

The Gators will return home for another matchup with a top-five opponent on Wednesday with the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers. 

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