Connect with us

Florida

‘Time to grow up’ UF basketball stays strong in second half to hold down No. 11 Auburn

Published

on

‘Time to grow up’ UF basketball stays strong in second half to hold down No. 11 Auburn


play

With Florida basketball up by 16 points at home against No. 11 Auburn at halftime. head coach Todd Golden sent a simple message to his team at halftime.

“It’s time to grow up,” Golden said.

Advertisement

The Florida Gators (16-7. 6-4 SEC) stretched their 16-point lead to as many as 29 points in the second half and never let up in a 81-65 win over the Tigers at the O’Connell Center.

“Just start to finish, our best effort of the season,” Golden said.

Another statement win: Florida basketball makes another statement, routs No. 11 Auburn

Passing grades: Grading Florida basketball players, coaches at midpoint of SEC season

Florida had let second-half leads slip away in losses to Wake Forest, Kentucky and Texas A&M and failed to hold a 21-point, second half lead in an eventual 102-98 overtime win at home against Georgia.

Advertisement

“That’s something that we needed as a team,” Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. said. “Obviously we know what we’re capable of, we kept on getting off to big leads and we let our confidence let up. As a team, the mentality of our team was to step on their neck, just kind of put them in the ground.”

Defense fuels UF to win

Florida played its best defensive game in SEC play, holding Auburn to 42.1 percent shooting from the floor and 17.6 percent shooting (3-17) from 3-point range.

The 65 points was the fewest UF allowed in SEC player and fewest since beating Grambing State.

“We made them miss,” Golden said. “They’re a team that hasn’t shot it great all the time on the road, I think that kind of went into our favor today, but again, you know, they’re a top-5 team in the country depending on where you look analytically, so for us to be able to control the game, get a 29-point lead in the second half, obviously it bled a little bit late but it was never in question. I thought it was a really big growth experience for a team.”

Advertisement

UF center Micah Handlogten set an early tone with his interior defense with 3 steals and a blocked shot in the first half and finished the game with a season-high 4 blocked shots.

“He was awesome,” Golden said. “We’ve been challenging him to play with more physicality, and transparently he wasn’t good enough against A&M that way. Today I thought he accepted that challenge and really delivered.”

As a team, Florida finished with 10 steals and six blocks.

“Definitely say it’s up there,” Florida guard Zyon Pullin said of UF’s defensive performance. “I think that’s something we’re still trying to lock in on. And I think that’s something we’re gonna need to rely on, our defense if the offense is not falling.”

Advertisement

Gators stay physical, make FTs down the stretch

After Auburn made 50 trips to the free throw line in a home win earlier in the week against Alabama, Florida was able to both play through contact and keep Auburn from taking the game over at the line. UF mixed it up well on the boards, holding a slim 43-41 rebounding margin.

The seven day layoff helped UF in that regard, as opposed to Auburn playing on Wednesday night. Florida also finished the game off at the free-throw line, going 20 of 26 (76.9 percent), compared to 14 of 26 (53.8 percent) for Auburn.

“Definitely something getting used to, that physicality, especially from a team like that,” Pullin said. “But you know just keep playing through it was the biggest thing. We knew they were gonna be a physical team. It’s kind of what they kind of pride themselves on, just staying the course and not getting caught up in it.”



Source link

Advertisement

Florida

South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open

Published

on

South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open


On Monday, more than 800 faith leaders and community activists from across South Florida, crowded into the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami to demand the Miami Dade County Commission move forward with opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery.

“Are we OK with being told to wait when lives are on the line?” said Quanda Dupree, of the St. Peters Missionary Baptist Church. “Or do we believe real accountability means keeping your word? Even when things aren’t guaranteed. We believe our communities deserve more than a delayed response. We deserve action.”

The center – which was promised to voters back in 2004 – would take mentally ill individuals out of the jail and move them into a place where they can receive comprehensive treatment and support. The county has spent more than $50 million renovating the building and two years ago, a pair of non-profit groups were selected to operate the facility while numerous local groups and agencies have pledged their support, including the Homeless Trust. Funding for the first two to three years of the center is already in place.

And yet, the center remains empty – not helping anyone.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday

Published

on

SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday


New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.

What we know:

Advertisement

These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.

Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.

Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.

Advertisement

“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”

Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.

Advertisement

“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”

The other side:

Advertisement

This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

What they’re saying:

Advertisement

Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.

“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.

Advertisement

This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.

“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”

The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.

Advertisement

Big picture view:

The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.

Advertisement

The Source:  Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.

Hillsborough CountyHealth



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

Published

on

GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

Advertisement

Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
Comment with Bubbles

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending