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Gators snap three-game skid vs. Ole Miss despite Castleton exit

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•02/15/23•

ZachAbolverdi

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday with a 79-64 win over Ole Miss, getting back above .500 in SEC play.

Up by 10 at the half, UF regained a double-digit lead with 11:54 remaining and never relinquished it despite losing Colin Castleton in the second period.

After the Rebels cut the deficit to 47-43 with 14:49 to play, the Gators went on a 15-3 run to open up a 16-point lead at the 10-minute mark, 62-46.

Castleton, who was held to just 2 points in the first half, added a free throw before the leaving the game five minutes after the break with a broken right hand. He did not return.

Castleton’s lack of production and availability didn’t stymie UF’s success, with six other players scoring in the first half, led by Will Richard’s 9 points and Kowacie Reeves with 8.

Five Gators finished in double figures, including a season-high 15 points from Myreon Jones (all coming behind the arc) after he was held scoreless in the last two games.

Reeves and Richard both scored 13 points apiece, along with Riley Kugel’s 12 points and 10 from Kyle Lofton, who had a season-high seven assists and posted a plus-18.

Stepping in for Castleton, backup center Jason Jitoboh matched his season-high with 17 minutes played and logged 4 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

“My freshman year we were without Colin, for a good little while, so it’s like next man up mentality,” Reeves said. “We trust J to have Colin’s back if he can’t go, so I wasn’t alarmed at all.”

It marked Reeves’ second straight double-figure game off the bench (14 points vs. Vanderbilt), while Kugel has averaged 15.0 points per game over the last three.

“I’d say it’s pretty high,” Kugel said of his confidence. “Like y’all saw in the first half of the season it wasn’t really there, but I just kept pushing. So, my confidence is really high right now, and it’s getting me to where I need to be.”

Florida shot 59 percent from the floor and beyond the arc (10-for-17) while holding the Rebels to 40 percent shooting and 3-for-12 from 3-point range.

The Gators’ field goal percentage against Ole Miss marked the team’s highest in SEC play and second-highest overall this season (62.1 percent vs. FAMU).

After back-to-back home games, the Gators (14-12, 7-6 SEC) will return to the road on Saturday for an away game against Arkansas at 2 p.m. on ESPN 2.

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