Slow Lane Not for Florida

Mississippi slowed the tempo and free-wheeling Florida simply couldn’t handle it.

The Rebels gave their NCAA tournament hopes a big boost by dominating the No. 6-ranked Gators in a 68-51 victory Saturday at Oxford, Miss.

Mississippi, 19-7 overall and 8-5 in the Southeastern Conference, held Florida--averaging 84.4 points a game--to its lowest point total in six seasons under Coach Billy Donovan.

“We know we’re not going to get into a race with them,” Mississippi guard David Sanders said. “We wanted to try to slow them down and make them work for everything they got. We tried to make them play our style of ball.”

Florida (19-5, 8-4) shot 29% as two of its leading scorers, Udonis Haslem and Brett Nelson, struggled against Mississippi’s tight man-to-man defense. Haslem had 14 points, but made only three of 10 shots and was in foul trouble most of the game. Nelson, who Donovan said was battling flu, was scoreless in missing nine shots.

“We haven’t been dominated ... like this since my first year when we started three walk-ons,” Donovan said.

Most of Mississippi’s points came from behind the three-point arc or the free-throw line.

Mississippi, meanwhile, made 10 of 24 three-point shots and was 22 for 27 from the line.

Aaron Harper led the Rebels with 18 points and four three-point baskets. Sanders had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and his defense was largely responsible for Nelson’s first scoreless game in more than two years.

The Rebels had lost three of their previous four games and decided to try something different--wear red uniforms instead of traditional white at home.

Sanders called them “big game uniforms.” The last time Mississippi wore them was against Memphis earlier this season--and also won.

The Rebels had a different look, but a familiar strategy. They were able to slow the game down on the run-and-gun Gators--milking the shot clock on nearly every possession and playing tight man-to-man defense.

Florida had 10 turnovers and scored only 22 points in the first half, prompting a halftime outburst by Donovan that could be heard in the hallway leading to the visitors’ locker room.

But Donovan’s tirade failed to ignite Florida, which lost for the first time in five games.

*

No. 2 Kansas 87, Baylor 72--Nick Collison had 22 points as the Jayhawks (23-2, 12-0 in the Big 12) overcame lethargy and sloppy ball-handling against the Bears (14-11, 4-8) at Lawrence, Kan.

Baylor came in as a 22-point underdog but trailed by only two points six minutes into the second half.

Collison, however, scored eight points in a 10-2 run that put Kansas ahead, 83-68.

*

No. 4 Oklahoma 73, Kansas State 62--The Sooners (20-4, 9-3 in the Big 12) used a 19-3 second-half run to break the game open at Norman, Okla. Kansas State (10-13, 4-8) is 0-8 on the road this season.

Oklahoma’s Aaron McGhee scored 22 points--his fourth consecutive game with 21 or more--and Jason Detrick, a junior guard, had a career-high 21.

*

No. 7 Alabama 95, Tennessee 82--The Crimson Tide (22-4, 10-2 in the SEC) overcame a career-high 30 points by Volunteer junior forward Marcus Haislip and a miserable second-half start at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama missed its first 13 shots after halftime, helping Tennessee (13-12, 6-6) take a 51-48 lead, but then went on a 22-6 run.

*

No. 21 Georgia 78, No. 10 Kentucky 69--Ezra Williams scored 20 points at Athens, Ga., as the Bulldogs (19-7, 8-5 in the SEC) swept the Wildcats (17-7, 9-5) for the first time in 15 years.

Kentucky entered the game with a 99-18 record and eight-game win streak against Georgia.

*

No. 11 Marquette 75, Louisville 63--Cordell Henry scored 23 points as the Golden Eagles (22-3, 11-1 in Conference USA) affirmed their highest ranking since March 13, 1979 with the victory over the Cardinals (14-10, 5-7) at Milwaukee.

Reece Gaines, Louisville’s leading scorer, had five points--15 below his season average.

*

No. 14 Pittsburgh 85, West Virginia 75--Brandin Knight scored a career-high 29 points as the Panthers (22-4, 10-3 in the Big East) overcame an inspired first half by the Mountaineers (8-16, 1-11) at Morgantown, W.Va.

Long-time West Virginia Coach Gale Catlett unexpectedly retired Thursday, and his nephew Dale was named interim coach.

The Mountaineers scored 45 points and shot 59% in the first half to take an eight-point halftime lead.

*

No. 16 Oklahoma State 71, Texas A&M; 66--Victor Williams’ driving layup with 22 seconds at College Station, Texas, as the Cowboys (20-6, 7-5 in the Big 12) won for the first time in five road games and Coach Eddie Sutton notched his 699th career victory.

Texas A&M; is 9-17 and 3-9.

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No. 18 Illinois 75, Seton Hall 65--Brian Cook had season highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds at East Rutherford, N.J., as the Illini (19-7) registered their third consecutive road victory.

Seton Hall is 12-13.

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No 23 Ohio State 72, Iowa 66--Boban Savovic scored 15 points, including two late baskets, as Ohio State (18-5, 9-3) rallied at Iowa City, Iowa, to win for the first time in three games and take a half-game lead over idle Indiana in the Big Ten.

Iowa (15-12, 4-9) played without Reggie Evans, the conference’s leading rebounder and the No. 2 scorer. Coach Steve Alford said he benched Evans for not going to class.

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No. 24 North Carolina State 83, Clemson 54--Anthony Grundy scored 23 points and Marcus Melvin had nine over a span of 1:22 in the second half at Raleigh, N.C., as Wolfpack (19-7, 8-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) rebounded from a 37-point loss to No. 1 Duke Thursday night.

Clemson (12-14, 3-10) shot 38%.