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Gator Basketball 2008-2009 Galleries

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Ole Miss, 4/18/09

Updated: Apr 18, 2009 5:21pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball NIT Tournament vs. Penn State, 3/24/09 : Freshman guard Erving Walker scored 16 points, but the Gators couldn’t overcome Penn State down the stretch as Florida’s run in the NIT ended Tuesday night with a 71-62 loss in the quarterfinals at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators finish with a 25-11 record and their 11th-straight 20-win season. The Nittany Lions (25-11) advanced to the semifinals to play either Kentucky or Notre Dame in New York’s Madison Square Garden next week. Walker made four of the team’s five 3-pointers, and sophomore forward Alex Tyus added 15 points and eight rebounds. Senior Walter Hodge scored seven points in his final appearance for the Gators at the O’Connell Center.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball NIT Tournament vs. Penn State, 3/24/09

Freshman guard Erving Walker scored 16 points, but the Gators couldn†...

Updated: Mar 25, 2009 9:20am PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball NIT Tournament, UF vs Miami, 3/20/09 : Sophomore guard Nick Calathes had 21 points, sophomore forward Alex Tyus added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Gators beat in-state rival Miami 74-60 in the second round of the NIT on Friday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida (25-10) improved to 18-1 at home this season, tying a school record for home wins, and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. The top-seeded Gators will host No. 2 seed Penn State on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Miami (19-13) got behind early, trailing by 22 points in the first half, and never recovered. The Hurricanes cut the lead to 11 several times in the second half, but couldn’t get any closer.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball NIT Tournament, UF vs Miami, 3/20/09

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes had 21 points, sophomore forward Alex Ty ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2009 9:00pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Jacksonville, N.I.T., 3/18/09 : Sophomore guard Nick Calathes broke out of a shooting slump with 19 points, sophomore forward Chandler Parsons added 17 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Florida beat Jacksonville 84-62 Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in the opening round of the NIT. The Gators played one of their best first halves of the season. They shot 63 percent from the field, were 6-of-9 from 3-point range and had a 21-point lead at the break. Florida (24-10) extended the lead to 26 early in the second half on freshman guard Ray Shipman’s dunk, and then coasted the rest of the way. Lehmon Colbert led Jacksonville (18-14) with 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore forward Alex Tyus scored Florida’s first seven points and finished with 13. Freshman guard Erving Walker added 11 and junior forward Dan Werner chipped in 10 points and five assists. Florida shot 56 percent for the game and was 9-of-19 from behind the arc. Jacksonville shot 37 percent and missed 17 of 23 from behind the arc. Former Florida quarterback, now the football coach at Jacksonville, was in attendance. With the win, Florida advances to the second round of the NIT and will host fourth-seeded Miami on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Jacksonville, N.I.T., 3/18/09

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes broke out of a shooting slump with 19 po ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2009 1:50am PST

Photo Gallery: SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, Day 2, 3/13/09 :

Photo Gallery: SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, Day 2, 3/13/09

Updated: Mar 14, 2009 8:13pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Men's Basketball vs. Auburn, 3/13/09

Updated: Mar 13, 2009 11:22pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Men's Basketball vs. Arkansas, 3/12/09

Updated: Mar 13, 2009 11:21pm PST

Photo Gallery: SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, Day 1, 3/12/09 :

Photo Gallery: SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, Day 1, 3/12/09

Updated: Mar 13, 2009 4:25pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Kentucky, 3/7/09 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey Guard Walter Hodge scored 18 points on his Senior Day and Florida stopped a three-game losing skid with a 60-53 victory over Kentucky on Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators took the lead on their first possession when junior forward Dan Werner hit a three-pointer and UF never looked back. Florida started the game on an 18-8 run and led 29-22 at the break. Florida was ahead by as many as 12 points early in the second half. The Wildcats cut the lead to six at 54-48 with 4:32 to play, but a steal by Hodge and a layup on the other end virtually put the game away. Sophomore forward Alex Tyus scored 11 points and freshman guard Erving Walker added 10. Patrick Patterson scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Kentucky. Jodie Meeks had 15 points and Ramon Harris added 14. Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Kentucky, 3/7/09

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey Guard Walter Hodge scor ...

Updated: Mar 09, 2009 12:00am PST

password protected gallery

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Vanderbilt, 2/21/09

The Florida men's basketball team improved to 21-6 with an 82-68 win a ...

Updated: Feb 24, 2009 7:54pm PST

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. South Carolina, 2/22/09 : No. 15 Florida’s senior class combined for 44 points and 16 rebounds to direct the Gators to an 82-66 victory against South Carolina on Senior Day Sunday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators (23-5, 9-4 Southeastern Conference), who picked up their 300th all-time home win, led the entire game and fought off several intense comeback efforts by the Gamecocks (10-15, 2-10 SEC) to notch their 23rd win, one shy of the program's all-time record. Senior guard Sha Brooks scored a game-high 24 points in just over 39 minutes of action, marking her 10th 20-plus point performance this season. Brooks started her school-record 119th consecutive game, knocking down five 3-pointers, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, dishing out a game-high eight assists and bringing down a team-high six rebounds. Senior forward Marshae Dotson added 18 points, blocked two shots and added five rebounds, while senior center Aneika Henry chipped in five rebounds with three assists. Junior forward Sharielle Smith tallied 12 points and freshman center Azania Stewart tied her career high with three blocks. Florida shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the floor in the game and connected on 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the charity stripe – its highest free-throw percentage in a league game this season. The Gators won the battle of the boards 38-34 and knocked down 10 3-pointers, the seventh time this season they've sank double-digit treys. Seniors Brooks, Kim Critton, Dotson and Henry each were honored in a Senior Day celebration following Sunday’s game in recognition of the quartet playing its final regular-season home game. Each of the four seniors was taken out of the game with 20 seconds remaining to a standing ovation by the O’Connell Center crowd. Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. South Carolina, 2/22/09

No. 15 Florida’s senior class combined for 44 points and 16 rebounds ...

Updated: Feb 22, 2009 3:39pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Alabama, 2/18/09 : The Gators post their 20th win of the season, giving Billy Donovan 11-consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins, by knocking off the Alabama Crimson Tide 83-74 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Wednesday. The Gators are riding a 16-0 win streak at home dating to last season. UF is 14-0 at home this year. Florida made 10-of-29 shots from three-point range, and 19-of-24 free throw attempts. The Gators shot 27-of-67 from the field. Alabama shot 30-62 from the field, including 4-of-14 from beyond the arc. Alex Tyus scored 16 points on 5-of-9 FG shooting and 6-of-8 free throw shooting, giving him four straight games with double figures. Walter Hodge won for the 112th in his career, tying him with Chris Richard and Lee Humphrey on the all-time win list. Nick Calathes scored 22 points, giving him ten games this season with 20 or more. With the first basket of the game coming from Dan Werner, the Gators maintained a lead throughout the game. Kenny Kadji grabbed eight rebounds, tying his career high. Erving Walker led the bench with 13 points.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Alabama, 2/18/09

The Gators post their 20th win of the season, giving Billy Donovan 11- ...

Updated: Feb 19, 2009 12:41pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball at Georgia, 2/14/09 : Athens, Ga. -- A case of heartbreak on Valentine's Day was seen Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum. The Florida men's basketball team dropped another close game, giving Georgia its first win of 2009. The Bulldogs pulled out an 88-86 victory by shooting 57.4% from the field. Florida (19-6, 6-4 SEC) shot 33-68 from the floor, including 11-26 from 3-point range. Georgia (10-15, 1-9 SEC) shot 31-54 from the floor and 14-26 from 3-point range, led by Terrance Woodbury's 32 points. Walter Hodge led the Gators with 22 points, making 6-of-8 attempts from behind the arc. Nick Calathes was one rebound shy of a triple-double, tallying 16 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and four assists.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball at Georgia, 2/14/09

Athens, Ga. -- A case of heartbreak on Valentine's Day was seen Saturd ...

Updated: Feb 17, 2009 10:04am PST

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Kentucky, 1/29/09 : Senior guard Sha Brooks scored a team-high 17 points and No. 12/16 Florida held off a stingy Kentucky team for a 74-59 victory on Thursday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators (19-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference), who wrapped up their three-game homestand with their 13th consecutive home win, led by as many as 18 points in the game before the Wildcats (12-9, 2-4 SEC) trimmed their deficit down to five points, 55-50, with 8:45 remaining and then were within nine points, 65-56, with 3:31 on the clock. Freshman guard Trumae Lucas drained a deep basket from the left wing with 2:31 left and senior center Aneika Henry posted a key block at the other end to give the Gators a 67-56 lead that they would not relinquish. Florida won the rebound battle 42-36 and scored 25 points off of 23 Kentucky turnovers. The Gators shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the floor for the game, while limiting the Wildcats to 31.6 percent (18-of-57) shooting from the floor. Brooks, who also tied her career high with nine assists and also added a season-high six steals, was one of four Florida players in double-figure point totals. Lucas scored a career-high 14 points in a career-high 29 minutes of action, while senior forward Marshae Dotson chipped in 13 points and a squad-best eight boards. Junior forward Sharielle Smith added 10 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Her six made free throws tied a career high. Junior guard Steffi Sorensen finished with nine points, including three 3-pointers, with nine rebounds. She extended her streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 16, the fifth-longest streak in program history. Florida returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on Arkansas in what will be the 1,000th game in program history. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Kentucky, 1/29/09

Senior guard Sha Brooks scored a team-high 17 points and No. 12/16 Flo ...

Updated: Jan 31, 2009 10:11pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Georgia, 1/28/09 : The Florida men's basketball team improved to 18-3 overall, 5-1 in the SEC, after a 83-57 win against the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday in what would be Dennis Felton's last game as coach at UGa. Felton was fired on Thursday after his team fell to 9-11 overall, 0-5 in the SEC. Nick Calathes recorded his second career triple-double, the third in school history, with 20 points, 13 rebounds and ten assists. Alex Tyus scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds. Florida returns to action on Sunday in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Georgia, 1/28/09

The Florida men's basketball team improved to 18-3 overall, 5-1 in the ...

Updated: Jan 30, 2009 12:40pm PST

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Mississippi, 1/25/09 : In front of a crowd of 4,623 fans, the No. 15-ranked Florida women's basketball team routed the Mississippi Lady Rebels 75-54 at the O'Connell Center on Sunday afternoon. Amanda Butler's team jumped out to a big lead, as much as 26 points midway through the second half, to improve to 4-1 in SEC play. The Gators wore pink shoelaces in memory of Kay Yow. Florida's bench accounted for 31 points, led by freshman Trumae Lucas. Steffi Sorensen scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Lucas led the team with four steals. Sharielle Smith led the Gators with ten rebounds. Florida will next host Kentucky on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the O'Connell Center.

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Mississippi, 1/25/09

In front of a crowd of 4,623 fans, the No. 15-ranked Florida women's b ...

Updated: Jan 27, 2009 10:42am PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Arkansas, 1/17/09 : Florida used a barrage of 3-pointers in the second half to beat Arkansas 80-65 Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to extend its winning streak to 10 games. Sophomore guard Nick Calathes led the Gators with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Calathes made four 3-pointers in the second half and finished with a career-high six three-pointers, clearly the difference for the Gators. Arkansas outscored Florida in the paint, but the Gators made up for it from long range. The Gators were 3 of 17 from 3-point range in the first half and led 37-34 at the break. They were 8 of 13 in the second half, opening a 17-point lead and spoiling Arkansas coach and former Florida assistant John Pelphrey's return to Gainesville. Freshman guard Erving Walker chipped in 13 points, including three baskets from behind the arc, and sophomore forward Alex Tyus added 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore forward Chandler Parsons and freshman center Kenny Kadji each finished with 10 points. Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer and other members of the Gators' 2008 BCS Championship football team made an appearance at halftime. A special performance by the Dazzlers included the Golden Gators. Crowd favorite "Stick Man" performed during each half.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Arkansas, 1/17/09

Florida used a barrage of 3-pointers in the second half to beat Arkans ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2009 7:48am PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball at South Carolina, 1/21/09 : COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Once again, Gator Country is proving why it is the best source for coverage of the Florida Gators. Only Gator Country sent a photographer to cover Wednesday's basketball game at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina edged the Gators 70-69 at the buzzer. Don't miss this gallery of 170 exclusive images! Nick Calathes led the Gators with 20 points and five assists. Chandler Parsons grabbed nine rebounds and scored 14 points. Florida shot 54% from the field, 42.9% from behind the arc and 60% at the free throw line. South Carolina shot 39% from the field, 36.4% on three-pointers and 64% on foul shots. Both teams had 33 rebounds. South Carolina had 11 blocks, five steals, 12 assists and ten turnovers. The Gators had two blocks, one steal, 18 assists and 18 turnovers. Florida returns to the court in Nashville on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball at South Carolina, 1/21/09

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Once again, Gator Country is proving why it is the b ...

Updated: Jan 22, 2009 9:57am PST

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Georgia, 1/18/09 : On a day in which the Florida women’s basketball team honored its alumni – the players, coaches and support staff members – who each have played important roles in the storied 35-year history of the program, the No. 19 Gators notched another impressive accomplishment as part of what is becoming a memorable season of firsts. Senior forward Marshae Dotson scored a game-high 20 points and Florida recorded its first win against Georgia since Feb. 26, 2004 with a 61-45 victory on Sunday in front of 2,413 fans in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators (17-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), who snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs in the all-time series, forced Georgia into 23 turnovers in the game, resulting in 30 Florida points off of those miscues.

Photo Gallery: Women's Basketball vs. Georgia, 1/18/09

On a day in which the Florida women’s basketball team honored its al ...

Updated: Jan 21, 2009 2:24pm PST

Men's Basketball vs. Ole Miss, 1/10/09 :

Men's Basketball vs. Ole Miss, 1/10/09

Updated: Jan 14, 2009 8:37pm PST

Women's Basketball vs Mississippi State, 1/8/09 : Heading into its Southeastern Conference opener with Mississippi State on Thursday, the No. 18/19 Florida women’s basketball team faced several considerable obstacles. The Gators, who do not start a player taller than 5-foot-11, would be forced to contend with a Bulldog front-line that featured four 6-footers in its regular playing rotation and the game was scheduled for a non-conventional 5 p.m. tip-off. Behind a career-high 31 points from senior guard Sha Brooks, the Gators found a way to win as they have all season, fighting a stifling defense and one of the tallest teams in the SEC, to notch a resounding 80-66 victory against Mississippi State in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game was played in front of 6,500 fans, the third-largest crowd in school history. Brooks, who charted her fourth 20-plus point game of the season and the 21st of her career, became the first Florida player to score 30 or more points since Bernice Mosby poured in 31 points against George Washington on Dec. 22, 2003. She also tied a season high with four steals in 37 minutes of action. The Gators improved to 15-1 for the first time in school history, extending their school-record win streak to 15 consecutive contests. Florida, which now has a 10-game home winning streak, won an SEC opener for the first time since 2006. Florida shot 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the floor, its highest shooting efficiency in a conference game since connecting on 56.5 percent of its shots against Alabama on Jan. 13, 2008. Three Gators scored in double figures for the seventh time this season. Senior forward Marshae Dotson scored 17 points and brought down nine rebounds, just missing her second double-double this season. Dotson also tied her career high with a game-high five steals, while junior forward Sharielle Smith added 11 points. The two teams entered halftime locked in a 37-37 tie. Both teams were extremely effective from the floor in the opening period as the Gators shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31), while the Bulldogs connected on 46.7 percent (14-of-30) of their field goals. Mississippi State (12-3) was led by 6-foot-5 junior forward Mokango, who scored a team-high 17 points to complement a squad-best nine rebounds. Junior guard Armelie Lumanu added 14 points, five assists and four steals. Florida returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Auburn, Ala., to take on undefeated and No. 9/8-ranked Auburn. Tip-off in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum is slated for 3 p.m. EST. Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Women's Basketball vs Mississippi State, 1/8/09

Heading into its Southeastern Conference opener with Mississippi State ...

Updated: Jan 08, 2009 5:29pm PST

Men's Basketball vs Longwood, 1/6/09 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Men's Basketball vs Longwood, 1/6/09

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Updated: Jan 08, 2009 11:35am PST

Men's Basketball vs. North Carolina State, 01/03/09 : Sophomore guard Nick Calathes hit the game-winning shot with 11 seconds left in regulation to rally Florida to a 68-66 win over North Carolina State on Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Calathes scored 24 points in the second half as the Gators overcame a 10-point halftime deficit. His shot with 11 seconds left in the game put Florida up 67-66 and he hit a free throw with three seconds remaining to clinch the win. The win was the sixth in a row for Florida (12-2), while the Wolfpack dropped to 9-3. The Wolfpack tied the game at 15 when junior forward Brandon Costner hit a 3-pointer with 8:20 remaining in the half. North Carolina State scored the next seven points on their way to a 33-23 halftime lead. Calathes totaled a career-high 32 points in the game to go along with five rebounds and five assists. It was the highest scoring output by a Gator since Joakim Noah scored 37 against Georgia on March 1, 2006. Junior forward Dan Werner added 10 points and junior forward Chandler Parsons chipped in eight points and five rebounds. Freshman guard Erving Walker added eight points and two key steals during the second half comeback. Costner led North Carolina State with 24 points, senior forward Ben McCauley had 11 and junior guard Farnold Degand added 10. The Gators have one non-conference game remaining against Longwood, who travels to Gainesville for a 7:00 p.m. tip on Tuesday (Jan. 6). UF will open conference play at home against Ole Miss next Saturday (Jan. 10) at 6:00 p.m. Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Men's Basketball vs. North Carolina State, 01/03/09

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes hit the game-winning shot with 11 second ...

Updated: Jan 03, 2009 7:29pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. UCF 12/20/08 : Jacksonville - The University of Florida Gators defeated the University of Central Florida Knights 89-61 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday December 20.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. UCF 12/20/08

Jacksonville - The University of Florida Gators defeated the Universit ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2008 6:56pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Winthrop, 12/28/08 : Sunrise -- The Gators jumped out to a 42-point halftime lead against the Winthrop Eagles in the Orange Bowl Classic at the BankAtlantic Center en route to improving to 10-2 on the season. Freshman Eloy Vargas made his season debut, playing eight minutes, after being held out of games recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs. Vargas grabbed two rebounds, had one block, one steal and one point. Sophomore Chandler Parsons led the Gators with 17 points and six rebounds, earning Most Valuable Player honors. Dan Werner, Walter Hodge and Alex Tyus each scored ten points.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Winthrop, 12/28/08

Sunrise -- The Gators jumped out to a 42-point halftime lead against t ...

Updated: Dec 29, 2008 8:49pm PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Georgia Southern, 12/22/08 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson Sophomore guard Nick Calathes scored 21 points, sophomore forward Alex Tyus added 20 and Florida held off Georgia Southern 88-81 Monday, winning for the sixth time in seven games. The Gators (9-2) led 83-80 in the closing seconds before Calathes drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He scored 10 of Florida’s final 19 points. Junior guard Antonio Hanson led the Eagles (3-6) with 16 points and five assists. The Gators were up 58-42 early in the second half, but the Eagles used a barrage of free throws to get back in the game. Consecutive 3-pointers from freshman guard Colby Wohlleb and senior forward Trumaine Pearson made it 71-66 with a little more than six minutes remaining. Junior forward Sandy Perry’s three-point play with 38.6 seconds left cut Florida’s lead to 83-80. Then Calathes hit his long-range shot to seal the win. Sophomore guard Chandler Parsons added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Gators. Freshman forward Kenny Kadji chipped in seven points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of play.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Georgia Southern, 12/22/08

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson Sophomore guard Nick Calathes scored ...

Updated: Dec 24, 2008 12:11am PST

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Rollins, 11/6/08 : The Gators wrapped up the final exhibition game with a 82-53 win against the Rollins College Tars, the first game since sophomore guard Jai Lucas decided to leave the team. Chandler Parsons and Nick Calathes each had 16 points, while Calalthes also led UF with six assists. Alex Tyus led the Gators with five rebounds and a block. Florida shot 47.7% on field goals, and 42.9% of three-point shots, while holding Rollins to 39.6% on field goals and 27.8% on three-pointers. Rollins out-rebounded the Gators 37-36. The Gators open the regular season against Toledo on Nov. 14 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.

Photo Gallery: Men's Basketball vs. Rollins, 11/6/08

The Gators wrapped up the final exhibition game with a 82-53 win again ...

Updated: Nov 08, 2008 4:25pm PST

Photo Gallery: Basketball vs. Warner Southern, 11/3/08 : The No. 19-ranked Gators started off with a bang, blowing out the Warner Southern Royals 108-49 in an exhibition game on Monday at the O'Connell Center. This photo gallery provides a sample of what Gator Country subscribers can expect this season -- unmatched coverage of the Florida basketball team that will include game stories, previews, profiles, photo galleries and video highlights. Four freshman made their debut, lighting up the scoreboard with 37 points and providing a glimpse of what's to come in 2008-2009. Florida is now 54-13-1 all-time in exhibition play and 29-2-1 under head coach Billy Donovan. The Gators allowed only two baskets during the first 10 minutes of the game. Dan Werner led the team with 17 points. Freshman Erving Walker led his classmates with 13 points. Nick Calathes led the Gators with nine assists.

Photo Gallery: Basketball vs. Warner Southern, 11/3/08

The No. 19-ranked Gators started off with a bang, blowing out the Warn ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2008 1:15am PST

UF basketball "Shooting With the Stars," 10/24/08 : Nick Calathes donned an Afro wig and disco danced to the delight of an O'Connell Center crowd, beginning the final portion of "Shooting With the Stars" on Friday. Earlier in the event, players from the Florida men's and women's basketball teams signed autographs and participated in a slam dunk and three-point shooting contest. The duo of Sharielle Smith and UF cheerleader Darwin Rivera won the dance contest, which included gold-medal swimmer and UF alumnus Ryan Lochte and men’s basketball assistant coach Larry Shyatt as judges. Dazzlers paired with Calathes, Chandler Parsons and Jai Lucas, while Ebonie Crawford, Jennifer Mossor and Smith danced with male members of the spirit team. Women’s basketball player Aneika Henry made a one-handed dunk, besting Ray Shipman, Walter Hodge and Chandler Parsons in the dunk contest. The team of Erving Walker and Susan Yenser defeated Walter Hodge and Sha Brooks in the three-point shooting contest. As players from both teams were introduced, pyrotechnics illuminated the court as highlights were displayed on the video boards. Billy Donovan and Amanda Butler each spoke with event host Jeff Cardozo about their thoughts on the upcoming season and their teams’ strengths. The Dazzlers and Florida cheerleaders performed and several contests for UF students were held.

UF basketball "Shooting With the Stars," 10/24/08

Nick Calathes donned an Afro wig and disco danced to the delight of an ...

Updated: Oct 25, 2008 8:29am PST

Photo Gallery: Ocala Tip-Off Club Banquet, 8/18/08 : Ocala -- Thousands of dollars were raised to endow scholarships. Hundreds of people enjoyed a hearty meal and many laughs, mostly at the expense of Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan. Former Gator basketball player Augie Greiner served as master of ceremonies at the Ocala Gator Tip-Off Club's annual banquet on Tuesday at the Ocala Hilton Hotel. New assistant coach Shaka Smart was introduced, and thrown into the fray by conducting an auction of a signed basketball. Rob Lanier and Larry Shyatt conducted auctions, while Billy Donovan was very generous with his time and added incentives to win the auctions he conducted. A custom-built dog house that is an impressive reproduction of the Gators' home arena, dubbed the O'Canine Center, was auctioned off as well.

Photo Gallery: Ocala Tip-Off Club Banquet, 8/18/08

Ocala -- Thousands of dollars were raised to endow scholarships. Hundr ...

Updated: Aug 21, 2008 2:46am PST

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