Fleming, Reeves spark Gators' best shooting performance of season

Gators coach Mike White saw his team’s first two shot attempts Saturday and knew this game would be different.

Making his second career start, freshman guard Kowacie Reeves drained a 12-foot jumper on Florida’s opening possession. Grad transfer Phlandrous Fleming Jr., another new starter in the lineup, then knocked down a three-pointer to give the Gators their first lead, 5-2. 

They never trailed the rest of the game en route to a 71-63 win at South Carolina. 

“Our first three, I know we made one early and our bench went nuts,” White said. “We just seemed to shoot it with a little more confidence, a little more pop. Just probably seeing it go in early (helped).”

After the Gators had their worst shooting night of the season in the LSU loss, White hammered them all week about playing with more confidence and mental toughness. 

They responded at South Carolina with their best shooting performance this season, hitting 55.1 percent from the floor after a season-low 36.4 field goal percentage against the Tigers. 

“We’ve talked a lot about mental toughness all season, even in the preseason. But the last two days, we just beat it up,” White said. “It was less physical. It’s more about, ‘I can’t worry about the result, whether or not it’s going to go in, what my teammates are going to think, is coach going to yank me out, man I can’t make a shot.’

“Stop with all the whining and the pouting and the bad body language. Control what we can control, step up with confidence, make a shot. Period. Let’s just make a shot. And if you miss it, know you’re going to make the next one. … Sometimes I think it will just go in for you if you’re playing a little bit more clear minded and playing a little bit more toward your identity.”

Career-high game from Gators’ Kowacie Reeves

The Gators were led offensively by Reeves and Fleming, both of whom scored a team-high 14 points. That marks a new career high for Reeves, who started fast with five of Florida’s first eight points.

“It feels good. I’m lost for words honestly,” Reeves said of his performance. “A lot of the guys on the team predicted something similar to this was gonna happen. Like, [Anthony] Duruji and Colin [Castleton], they just encouraged me to just keep pushing on, keep working, paying attention to every little detail and just being engaged on defense. That was going to keep me on the floor. 

“So, once I did get those things, it started to come together. I just gotta continue to do those things and feed off those guys. … It’s been an up-and-down season for me, but I just stayed prepared and it’s all thanks to my coaches and teammates. They never gave up on me. They never bashed me. They just always told me to remain ready.” 

Reeves earned his first career start from White against LSU. He hit a big three-pointer in that game as well, capping a 10-0 run that got UF within three points, 46-43. 

Despite his scoring production, Reeves’ improved defensive effort is the reason he’s seeing the floor more. 

“He’s become a better ball handler and passer. He’s learned how to play within himself,” White said of Reeves. “This is a guy, like most high school kids, that a year ago today probably in a high school game was getting 25 shots up and at that level it was really hard to guard him. I’m really proud of him. 

“He’s had an unbelievable attitude and nothing has been handed to him. He’s just earned it. He was really good today. He’s got a way to go, he’d be the first one to tell you. Again, he’s gotten better staying in front of the ball, loading to the ball, scouting report stuff. He’s going to be a very good player.”

Fleming scored in double figures for the second straight game and made five of 13 attempts from downtown against LSU and South Carolina. With under five minutes left Saturday, he hit a clutch stepback three-pointer that matched Florida’s largest lead of the game (13). 

“I thought that he was more locked in to playing within himself, to playing for his teammates, making simple plays,” White said of Fleming. “I thought he played more level-headed, with more maturity.”