UF coach Billy Donovan said earlier this year his team would live and die by its outside shooting. Thursday night, the Gators almost dug their own grave.
After knocking down 14 3-point shots against Bradley on Sunday, UF finished the first half of Thursday's 64-50 win against Southern Utah without making a single shot from behind the arc.
Dan Werner saved UF's 546-game streak of at least one 3-point basket per match when he sank the Gators' only one of the night with 22 seconds to go.
It would have been the first time since UF's 81-60 loss to Kentucky in 1992 that the Gators failed to make a three.
"Thank God Dan Werner knocked a three down, or we wouldn't be doing many shooting clinics here anymore," Donovan said.
UF was 1 of 16 from distance on the night.
"We could not throw the ball in the ocean tonight," Donovan said.
Despite its poor shooting performance, No. 18 UF (3-0) managed to claw its way to a win.
On a night when nothing seemed to fall the Gators' way on the outside, the much-maligned frontcourt had its best game of the season.
Center Alex Tyus (8 points) and his backup, freshman Kenny Kadji, combined for 16 points against the Thunderbirds.
The 6-foot-8 sophomore looked more comfortable in the paint than he had all season. Tyus displayed an array of post moves ranging from rim-rattling dunks to jump shots.
"Coach (Donovan) has been stressing that the frontcourt needs to pick it up, and we really tried to make that the focus," Tyus said.
For the first time all year, Kadji showed signs of life offensively.
The freshman brought the crowd to its feet when he practically took off from the foul line on a fast-break dunk with a little more than 11 minutes left in the first half.
"It was pretty close (to the foul line)," Kadji said.
It was arguably the most exciting play the Gators have had through their first three games.
"I had a talk with Coach before the game, and he just told me to be aggressive any time I get the ball," Kadji said.
Kadji, who Donovan said has been limited by fatigue during the early part of the season, played 16 minutes in the win.
Even freshman forward Allan Chaney got in on the act, scoring 6 points off the bench.
Thirty-eight of the Gators' 64 points came in the paint.
Ray Shipman continued to play the role of lockdown defender. The athletic freshman wing nabbed four steals against Southern Utah.
"He changed the game on the defensive end of the floor," Donovan said.
Point guard Erving Walker had one of the hardest nights of his short career against the Thunderbirds, finishing the game shooting 1 of 4 from the field.
Nick Calathes (18 points) was the only Gator to finish in double figures.
"Sometimes you learn your most valuable lessons when you have your most adversity," Donovan said.
The Gators will face Syracuse on Monday night in the semifinal round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo.
