NCAAB Game Recap - Utah State at Florida
Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:46 PM EST

Kansas
55
Vill
56
F
E WA
77
Gonz
112
F
OhSt
71
KY
65
F
TXSo
78
Oreg
84
F
JackSt
49
Mem
77
F
Leh
51
Aub
74
F
Colora
78
Dayt
76
F(OT)
Presb
44
Mich
86
F
E MI
48
MSU
101
F
Ariz
67
StJon
70
F
Butl
70
Purd
61
F
SoFL
60
FSU
66
F
SDSU
80
Utah
52
F
JSU
53
Tenn
75
F
UTRGV
58
TxTch
68
F
WVU
75
YSU
64
F
FaDi
58
LaSal
66
F
Ind
62
ND
60
F
VCU
63
WichSt
73
F
NCAT
64
Wake
76
F
Harv
88
GrgWas
75
F
Samf
71
GTown
99
F
Bry
64
Dart
60
F
(N/A)
74
USC-Up
92
F
Ida
57
SDSt
85
F
Mont
82
NebOm
87
F(OT)
Ill
56
Mizzu
63
F
(N/A)
59
Campbl
82
F
Tul
82
Tows
86
F(OT)
Boston
74
UMassL
62
F
Rider
66
Temp
78
F
(N/A)
57
Penn
105
F
MorSt
76
Ohio
82
F
TxSt
69
GASt
81
F
TexAr
74
GaSo
77
F
Maris
56
BethC
85
F
Quin
69
BGSU
64
F
Elon
80
Winth
85
F
Army
62
Merrim
82
F
UCF
52
Okla
53
F
Drake
85
AF
80
F
TXAMC
67
CenAR
71
F
(N/A)
71
TNSt
86
F
MOSt
72
ORU
82
F
WIGB
85
NIU
84
F
SeLA
76
Miss
83
F
BelAb
66
HiPt
92
F
WriSt
79
Toled
72
F
W Ky
82
URI
86
F(OT)
Tex
48
Prov
70
F
Fairf
61
Oakl
59
F(OT)
Chat
68
UNCA
64
F
Albany
70
Monm
72
F
Brad
55
Mia-O
71
F
Copp
60
Mia-FL
91
F
(N/A)
45
LoyMD
72
F
Niag
72
Buff
92
F
Stony
77
Amer
74
F
ColSt
111
Tuls
104
F(3OT)
APSU
77
Duques
86
F
UtSt
65
Fla
62
F
USD
59
Stan
62
F
UCLA
64
UNC
74
F
RobM
69
UNLV
81
F
Wyo
72
Denv
66
F(OT)
App
70
Troy
65
F
Toug
77
USM
96
F
NOrl
79
SHSU
87
F
ArkSt
62
ULM
59
F
StBon
66
MTSU
65
F
SIU-E
55
Detr
81
F
Belm
72
Bama
92
F
Akr
67
Lib
80
F
NoAZ
73
Pepp
75
F
IlSt
70
UTSA
89
F
SEMO
45
SIU
64
F
CoCar
81
USA
69
F
Lamar
61
NWSt
67
F
SFA
81
McNee
73
F
VMI
55
VaTec
64
F
UMBC
53
GMas
69
F
Clev
55
ETSU
80
F
SCSt
61
Charl
73
F
Drex
53
Norf
49
F
S NO
47
LaTec
87
F
UCDav
84
USF
93
F
WIMil
64
Wisc
83
F
UAB
71
ASU
63
F
WCU
89
TNTec
76
F
BC
64
Cal
60
F
Minn
86
OkSt
66
F
ArkPB
53
N TX
86
F
UND
75
Nebras
74
F
NFla
70
Syr
82
F
Buck
71
Sien
81
F
(N/A)
62
FlGlf
84
F
Murr
76
Evans
78
F(OT)
InWor
59
WaSt
87
F
UtVal
65
LongB
68
F
StLou
66
KSU
63
F
NoKY
50
UNCG
67
F
Hamp
64
Kent
103
F
ChaSo
76
E KY
69
F
UNCW
73
Vand
88
F
E IL
63
GrCan
85
F
ArkLR
69
UL
66
F
Nich
61
AbCh
79
F
Valpa
60
Ark
51
F
NW
78
DeP
83
F
Crei
67
AzSt
60
F
OrSt
49
TAMU
64
F
LSU
68
USC
70
F
Web
61
BYU
91
F
Cin
70
Iowa
77
F
FlaAM
71
Seatt
57
F
CSBak
72
CAPoly
50
F
IdaSt
66
Pacif
77
F
StMar
68
Nev
63
F

Dec 21, 2019, 2:46 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Utah State

27

38

65

Florida

27

35

62

Merrill's 21 points help Utah State beat Florida 65-62
Sat Dec 21, 2019 6:24 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Utah State didn't give up a field goal in the first 10 minutes Saturday and still led by only four points, which was enough to make coach Craig Smith rub his jaw in disbelief.

"The start," he said, "was a little bit of a root canal."

Pain relief came soon enough for the Aggies. They shot 50 percent in the second half, including 5 for 12 from 3-point range, and held Florida without a field goal for six minutes down the stretch to win 65-62 in the Orange Bowl Classic.

"Early it was kind of a battle," forward Justin Bean said. "No one was hitting many shots. It just took a lot of physicality from our guys, staying together, executing our sets and just knowing the shots would fall."

The Aggies (12-2) improved to 3-0 in games decided by a one-possession margin. They won despite losing hard-luck center Neemias Queta to an undisclosed injury in the first half.

Florida (7-4) continued to struggle after being ranked sixth in the preseason. The Gators missed their first 14 shots, and missed seven in a row in the final minutes after taking a 55-54 lead.

But coach Mike White saw offensive progress.

"We got a little better today," White said. "We had a chance to beat a really good team - as good a team as we'll play this season."

Sam Merrill led the Aggies with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He went 5 for 10 from 3-point range.

"Sam Merrill was absolutely outstanding," Smith said. "He set everything up for us."

Diogo Brito's basket with 4:15 left put the Aggies ahead to stay, and he went 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the final 25 seconds. Bean had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Senior Kerry Blackshear led Florida with 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. He went 15 for 17 from the free throw line.

The Gators out-rebounded the tallest team in the nation 41-33 but shot only 32 percent, including 4 for 17 from 3-point range. Eight players missed before Florida finally sank a shot.

"We got good looks," Blackshear said. "You've got to keep shooting."

REINJURED

Queta, who recently returned from a knee injury, limped to the locker room in the first half. He went to the floor hard and was shaken up when he collided with a Florida player and was called for an offensive foul.

"It's not the injury he was out with for a while," said Smith, but he provided no further information.

Queta averaged 11.8 points and 8.9 rebounds last season as a freshman.

QUOTABLE

The Gators fell to 17-4 in the annual one-day Orange Bowl Classic. When someone complimented White on agreeing to a tough match-up with the defending Mountain West Conference champions, he said: "Wasn't a very good decision, was it?"

BIG PICTURE

The Aggies were 34th in votes in the latest AP poll, and two wins this week might not be enough for them to crack the Top 25.

"They're a team that could make a deep run in March," White said.

Florida continues to be a puzzle with an offense that has failed to top 70 points seven times.

UP NEXT

The Gators play host to Long Beach State on Dec. 28, their final non-conference game before beginning Southeastern Conference play.

Utah State plays host to Eastern Oregon on Dec. 28.

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Taglines: More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 For women's games: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Utah State PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
S. Merrill 21 0 5 9 0 0
J. Bean 12 0 4 9 2 0
Florida PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
K. Blackshear Jr. 22 0 2 14 2 0
S. Lewis 11 0 0 5 3 2

Team Comparison

UtSt Fla
Points For 65 62
Field Goals 24/53-45% 20/62-32%
Three Pointers 9/25-36% 4/17-24%
Free Throws 8/11-73% 18/22-82%
Offensive Rebounds 8 18
Defensive Rebounds 25 23
Rebounds 35 44
Blocks 3 3
Steals 5 8
Turnovers 16 13
Personal Fouls 17 17
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - UtSt Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Dec 21 UtSt 65 @ Fla 62 S. Merrill 21 K. Blackshear Jr. 22

Game Information

Stadium: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida
Attendance: 8,927
Game Time: