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Gators Hang On, Topple Ole Miss

By MIKE DiFERDINANDO

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 11, 2009

GAINESVILLE - The Florida frontcourt has been questioned all season.

Saturday, it couldn't find an answer.

Despite being outrebounded 46-22, UF (14-2, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) held on to beat Mississippi 78-68 on the opening night of SEC play.

"It hurts me a lot," Dan Werner said. "I know we can rebound but for some reason we just couldn't do it."

The Rebels (9-6, 0-1) came into the game as the conference's worst rebounding team and were the only school to have a negative rebounding percentage (minus-2).

"I don't know how competitive we are," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "It was like the possession didn't start until they shot the ball."

The Gators, who won their eighth straight, finished with four offensive boards.

Florida started fast, shooting 62 percent from the field in the first half, and took a 14-point lead into halftime.

But the well dried up in the second half and UF allowed Mississippi to shoot its way back into the game.

The Gators shot just 32 percent in the second half, and with just more than two minutes to play, their lead had fallen to just six points.

"I thought we got open shots, but we just weren't knocking them down," Nick Calathes said. "I think that we should have probably gone inside more."

Calathes led UF in points (19) and rebounds (seven).

"It's always a concern for me when our leading rebounder is our point guard," Donovan said.

The Gators struggled to shoot the ball against the Rebel zone defense in the second, but Donovan said he felt his team's best chance to win was with its outside shooting.

"It's not like we can pound the ball inside to anybody," Donovan said.

UF transfer David Huertas played well against his old team, leading the Rebels in scoring with 16 points.

Huertas was a member of UF's 2006 national championship team, but transferred to Mississippi after his freshman year due to concerns about playing time.

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