North Florida Ospreys vs. Florida Gators Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

After dominating their opponents with double-digit wins in 10 consecutive games, the seventh-ranked Florida Gators faced a different kind of challenge in their most recent match. Following a six-point victory over North Carolina on neutral ground, the Gators will now take on local rival North Florida in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday afternoon.

With a perfect record of 11-0, Florida has two more non-conference games left before their SEC opener against the fourth-ranked team in the nation, Kentucky, on January 4th. Head coach Todd Golden expressed his pride in his team's ability to pull out a 90-84 win against North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday.

"This was a new experience for us," Golden said after the game. "We've won all of our previous games by double digits, so to be able to come out on top in a game where we were trailing back and forth in the second half is a great accomplishment for us and will prepare us for the challenges of SEC play."

Alijah Martin played a crucial role in the Gators' victory, tying the game at 82 with a 3-pointer and again at 84 with two free throws. Will Richard's offensive rebound and putback in the final minute sealed the win for Florida, with their defense holding strong in the remaining seconds.

"We know that the rest of the season won't be easy, but these games are preparing us for conference play and the tough matchups ahead," Richard told reporters. "It's good to face some adversity and come out on top."

Richard led the team with 22 points, his best shooting performance of the season, while Martin added 19 points. Despite leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. having an off night, shooting just 4-for-15 from the field, the Gators found a way to win.

Although Florida has a perfect 10-0 record against North Florida, their upcoming opponents cannot be underestimated. The Ospreys have already caused upsets on the road against South Carolina and Georgia Tech in the first week of the season. While they have lost three of their last five games, their ability to score from beyond the arc makes them a dangerous team.

North Florida leads Division I in both 3-point attempts (37.3 per game) and makes (13.6 per game). However, they struggled in their most recent game against UNC Asheville, shooting just 30 percent from deep. Head coach Matthew Driscoll emphasized that his team has other ways to win, as shown in their previous game against UNC Greensboro where they made 21 of 38 shots inside the arc.

"We're often told that we live and die by the 3-pointer, but that's not true," Driscoll said. "Of course, we want to make and take threes, but we also have the ability to score inside. Our players did a great job of getting layups in our last game."

North Florida's top scorers are Josh Harris (16.4 points, 7.0 rebounds per game) and Jasai Miles (14.2 points, 7.7 rebounds per game). Off the bench, Liam Murphy is a dangerous shooter, making 40 of 90 3-point attempts this season (44.4 percent).

PREDICTION

North Florida Ospreys

Florida Gators

North Florida Osprey vs. Florida Gators

Kerry Blackshear Jr. made his Florida debut a memorable one, scoring a game-high 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the new-look No. 6 Gators to a 74-59 victory over North Florida on Tuesday night in Gainesville.

Blackshear, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, added three assists and two steals. He finished 8-for-11 from the floor.

The Gators (1-0) wasted no time introducing their freshmen, playing five of them during the contest. Tre Mann was the only freshman to start, and he scored 11 points. Scottie Lewis had nine points and Omar Payne six to go with five boards. Sophomore Noah Locke scored 14 points.

J.T. Escobar led the Ospreys (0-1) with 15 points, and Garrett Sams scored 14.

The Gators, who led by 17 at halftime, added to the margin early in the second half, scoring easy buckets for a quick 6-0 run in the first 1:15. Blackshear's layup opened the scoring, and Mann and Locket followed with floaters in transition to force the Ospreys into an early timeout trailing 45-22.

The Gators led 39-22 at halftime behind Blackshear's 11 points and seven each from Mann and Noah Locke. The Gators missed their first eight shots and connected on just 37.1 percent from the floor before the break.

The Gators harassed the Ospreys into 11 first-half turnovers and 4-for-19 shooting from the 3-point line.

The Ospreys played the Gators even for the first 7 1/2 minutes, trailing just 12-10 after Josh Endicott's layup with 12:35 left in the half. But Payne helped to ignite a 16-0 run that extended the Gators' lead to 28-10 with 5:18 remaining.

Payne scored six points and grabbed four boards off the bench during the spurt. The 6-foot-10 forward factored in three straight scoring possessions during the stretch, feeding Lewis for a layup, hitting a short jumper and converting two free throws.

The Gators next await a visit from Florida State on Sunday. The Ospreys play host to Florida National, an NAIA school, on Thursday.