Gators Use 1st-Half Spurt to Upset Vandy

[January 28, 2008]  GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Walter Hodge scored a career-high 19 points, Nick Calathes added 15 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Florida used a huge first-half run to beat No. 14 Vanderbilt 86-64 Sunday.

The Gators put together a 20-0 spurt that helped them build a 34-6 lead, then cruised to their 13th victory in 15 games against the Commodores, including seven straight in Gainesville.

Florida (18-3, 5-1 SEC) played one of its best halves of the season, pressing Vandy into early turnovers, working to get open shots and playing stingy defense on Shan Foster and A.J. Ogilvy.

Vanderbilt's top scorers, who entered the game averaging nearly 39 points, combined for just three in the first half.

Ogilvy, outplayed all game by Marreese Speights, fouled out with 3:41 remaining. He had nine points and four rebounds. Foster finished with seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.

Alex Gordon led Vanderbilt with 13 points.

The Commodores (17-3, 2-3) looked nothing like the team that started the season 17-0. They left Florida shooters wide open, turned the ball over early and often, and couldn't stop Hodge and Calathes from driving at will.

All five Florida starters scored in double figures.

Dan Werner had 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Speights finished with 12 points and eight boards, and Jai Lucas chipped in 11 points.

The Gators shot 48 percent from the floor, were 7-of-21 from behind the arc and had 26 assists on 29 baskets. They were even better on defense, forcing 16 turnovers and making the Commodores work for every shot.

Vanderbilt was downright horrible to start the game.

The Commodores missed 15 of their first 18 shots. Florida's pressing, trapping defense contributed to their problems. The Gators forced eight turnovers in the first 13 minutes.

Despite the rough start, Vandy cut the lead to 13 late in the first half. But Chandler Parsons had a driving dunk with about 50 seconds remaining to push it back to 46-31 at the break.

Florida pushed the lead to 25 points early in the second half, but the Commodores got back in it and got it down to 15 with 7:48 remaining.

But the Gators pulled away down the stretch, making 11 of 14 free throws to seal their third consecutive conference win.

[Associated Press; By MARK LONG]

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