GAINESVILLE — The Stetson men's basketball team fell to the unbeaten and No. 6 nationally-ranked Florida Gators, 85-45, in Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville Sunday afternoon.
Treyton Thompson gave the Hatters an early 3-2 lead with a basket on their first offensive possession. Mehki Ellison and Stefano Alesso also contributed offensively as Stetson worked to prevent Florida from building a significant lead in the opening minutes. Despite their efforts, the Hatters trailed 46-27 at halftime after shooting just 31% (11-35) from the field.
The second half saw Stetson's offense continue to struggle as Florida extended its lead. However, the Hatters' defense showed improvement, forcing the Gators into 13 turnovers, which Stetson converted into eight points. Despite the defensive effort, Florida remained dominant and cruised to the 85-45 victory.
Ellison was the lone Hatter to reach double digits in scoring, finishing with 15 points. Finley Sheridan had a strong performance on the boards, leading the team with six rebounds. Stetson collected 12 offensive rebounds, generating four second-chance points, in addition to the eight points scored off turnovers.
Up Next:
The Hatters will now turn their focus to Atlantic Sun Conference play, beginning the new year with a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face Queens at Curry Arena on Thursday, January 2. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Stetson will then head to Carrollton, Georgia, on Saturday to battle West Georgia at 2 p.m. at The Arena. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Here is the box score:
Florida 85, Stetson 45
Stetson (2-11)
Mehki Ellison 5-16 4-4 15, Jordan Wood 3-11 1-3 8, Treyton Thompson, Treyton 2-3 0-0 5, Josh Massey 2-10 0-0 4, Abramo Canka 1-6 0-0 2, Daniel Macgregor 3-8 1-1 7, Stefano Alesso 2-5 0-0 4, Blaize Sagna 0-5 0-0 0, Finley Sheridan 0-4 0-0 0, Alex Doyle 0-0 0-0 0. Totals _ 18-68 6-8 45.
Florida (13-0)
Alijah Martin 8-16 0-0 18, Will Richard 8-11 0-0 17, Walter Clayton Jr. 4-5 2-2 12, Alex Condon 1-4 0-0 2, Rueben Chinyelu 1-3 0-0 2, Denzel Aberdeen 4-5 0-0 9, Thomas Haugh 2-6 2-2 7, Urban Klavzar 2-4 0-0 6, Isaiah Brown 2-4 2-3 6, Sam Alexis 2-8 0-2 4, Kajus Kublickas 1-3 0-0 2. Totals _ 35-69 6-9 85.
Halftime _ Florida 46, Stetson 27. 3-point field goals _ Stetson 3-24 (Wood 1-5, Ellison 1-4, Thompson 1-2, Massey 0-5, Canka 0-2, Alesso 0-2, Sagna 0-2, Macgregor 0-1, Sheridan 0-1); Florida 9-25 (Martin 2-9, Clayton Jr. 2-3, Klavzar 2-2, Richard 1-4, Haugh 1-2, Aberdeen 1-1, Brown 0-2, Alexis 0-1, Kublickas 0-1). Team fouls _ Stetson 8; Florida 13. Fouled out _ none. Technical fouls _ none. Rebounds _ Stetson 36 (Sheridan 6, Ellison, Sagna 5 each); Florida 49 (Alexis 12, Condon, Haugh 7 each). Turnovers _ Stetson 15; Florida 13. Assists _ Stetson 6 (Ellison 2); Florida 19 (Clayton Jr. 7, Richard 4). Steals _ Stetson 6 (Ellison 2); Florida 12 (Martin 4, Richard, Chinyelu, Haugh 2 each). Blocked shots _ Stetson 2 (Wood, Doyle); Florida 7 (Condon, Alexis 2 each).
