Florida Cruises to Victory Over Cal, Sets Showdown with Ohio State
A huge first-half run fueled a high-octane offense to lead No. 23 Florida past Cal, 80-60 on Monday evening at the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off.
It was a balanced scoring effort for the Gators, with four players tallying double-digits and 10 different players contributing points throughout the night. Colin Castleton recorded 16 points and eight rebounds, while Tyree Appleby poured in a season-high 15 points, Myreon Jones scored 13, and Phlandrous Fleming, Jr. added 11. Florida also forced 18 turnovers, marking the Gators’ fourth straight game forcing double-digit turnovers.
Jordan Shepherd led the way with 15 points for Cal. The Golden Bears had previously won two straight after dropping their first two contests of the 2021-22 campaign.
After a tightly-contested start to the game where Cal held a 15-14 lead, Florida went on a 32-12 run over the final ten minutes of the first half to put the game out of reach. Eight different Gators scored in the opening frame, including 11 by Jones, while the team made six three-pointers over the stretch.
Florida will take on Ohio State in the championship game of the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Cal will face Seton Hall in the consolation game at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Both games will be televised on FS1.