In the face of horrendous scoring droughts and lengthy shooting slumps, the Gators used their defense as a red herring.
Any inquiries about improving the offense and scoring more points were met with comments about the team focusing only on things it can control, with defense chief among them.
But over the past week, the facade has become the curse, as UF has found itself locked in offensive shootouts rather than defensive slugfests.
While that intensity helped Florida hold its opponents below 70 points when the team was shooting poorly, the desire to defend has dropped since UF’s shots started doing the same.
“Maybe you get a little satisfied when you’re making shots that you can just win the game with offense,” senior forward Chandler Parsons said. “We need to have all of our focus on the defensive end like we did earlier this year.”
In the 11 games directly preceding Southeastern Conference play, the Gators held their opponents to just 38.7 percent shooting. The tenacious defense was often necessary, as UF was scoring just 66.1 points per game.
“It was our defense that really kept us winning some of those games where we probably didn’t score enough,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I don’t think there’s any question there’s been some slippage.”
Over the first three SEC games, Florida is allowing opponents to shoot a combined 46.2 percent from the field.
These defensive lapses have coincided with the team’s offensive resurgence, as the Gators are scoring an average of 75.7 points per game in their last three.
But, as has been Donovan’s point all year, the team’s high-level shooting is not always sustainable. After an 8-of-30 shooting performance in the first half against South Carolina, the Gators faced a 10-point deficit at the break.
Despite outscoring the Gamecocks 44-37 in the second half and holding them to just 40.6 percent shooting, UF could not dig its way out of the early hole, falling 72-69 on Saturday.
“If we had played defense in the first half like we did in the second, we probably could’ve weathered and battled that storm,” Donovan said.
Despite the loss, the final 20 minutes against South Carolina can serve as a wake-up call as the team returns to a mentality that brought it success earlier in the season.
“Defense is our whole thing,” Parsons said. “It’s where we’re going to win games.”
