Gators’ inexperience and poor shooting cost UF in loss to Utah State in OB Classic

Utah State Aggies coach Craig Smith said the poor-shooting first half for both teams on Saturday afternoon was a “bit of a root canal.”

In the end, the Florida Gators were the ones in pain.

Senior guard Sam Merrill had 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists, leading Utah State to a 65-62 win over Florida in the annual Orange Bowl Classic at the BB&T Center.

Merrill, the reigning Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, made 8-of-18 shots from the floor, including 5-of-10 on three-pointers, to lead Utah State (12-2).

“He’s as good a player as we’ll face all year,” Gators coach Mike White said of Merrill, a 6-5, 205-pounder. “And (the Aggies) are a really good team.”

Florida (7-4) was led by graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr., who had 22 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs.

Blackshear, a 6-10 forward who led Virginia Tech to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years, made just 3-of-14 shots from the floor. However, he drew numerous fouls and made 15-of-17 free throws.

Besides Blackshear, the other players used by Florida on Saturday were four freshmen and four sophomores.

“I thought (Utah State’s) maturity showed,” Blackshear said in an apparent reference to Florida’s youth.

One of those Gators freshmen is 6-5 guard Scottie Lewis, who had 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

“This is a learning moment,” said Lewis, a McDonald’s All-American.

Utah State, which opened this season 7-0 for its best start in 58 years, led for most of the first half and by as many as seven points. But the Gators rallied to tie the score at 27 at the break.

As Smith mentioned, neither team shot well from the floor in the first half, and that was especially true of Florida (29.0 percent). Utah State shot 40.7 percent but got outscored at the foul line 6-1.

Then, in a back-and-forth start to the second half, Florida led 55-54 when Utah State made a 9-2 run to take control.

For the game, Utah State held Florida to 32.3 percent shooting, including 4-of-17 on three-pointers (23.5 percent). Utah State shot 45.3 percent, including 9-of-25 on three-pointers (36.0 percent).

One of the players the Gators struggled to contain was 6-7, 210-pound sophomore forward Justin Bean, who had 12 points and nine rebounds.

Bean, who made 6-of-8 shots and added four assists and two steals, might be one of the most rugged players in the nation. He has continued to play despite breaking his nose in October and having oral surgery in November when he had two teeth damaged during a game against Montana State.

“He’s such a tough guy,” Merrill said of Bean. “In practice, when his team shoots the ball, you have to send two guys to box him out. He’s that good and that relentless.”

On Saturday, the Gators as a whole were lacking that relentless nature down the stretch.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Besides Blackshear, two other Gators struggled the most from the floor on Saturday. Noah Locke shot 3-of-12, and Keyontae Johnson made 3-of-13.

▪ The Gators are 17-4 in their 21 OB Classic appearances.