DePaul University Athletics
No. 10 Florida Defeats DePaul 83-76
12/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Udonis Haslem had 21 points and 10 rebounds and 10th-ranked Florida overcame poor shooting by making 11 of 12 free throws in the final 1:24 Saturday to hold off DePaul for an 83-76 victory.
Reserve Matt Bonner scored 17 points and Brett Nelson added 16 for Florida (2-0), which played without starting point guard Teddy Dupay, who was serving a suspension for violating team rules.
DePaul (3-2) erased a double-digit, first-half deficit and stayed close after halftime, despite playing the final 21 minutes without freshman guard Imari Sawyer, who sprained his right ankle and watched the second half from the bench.
Haslem, who made eight of 17 shots, gave Florida the lead for good with a layup that made it 70-69 with 2:32 to go. After Brett Wright drove the lane for another layup and a three-point lead, the Gators scored their last 11 points from the foul line.
DePaul shot nearly 52 percent from the field, but turned the ball over 24 times and went 9-for-19 from the free throw line. The Blue Demons also only got 10 points from leading scorer Bobby Simmons, who didn't make his first field goal until midway through the second half.
Florida led 45-39 at the half, scoring 11 straight points before the break after DePaul put together a 21-8 run to overcome a 10-point deficit to go up 39-34. The Gators were limited to two field goals - both 3-pointers - during a five-minute stretch, but hit five of six shots in the closing minutes to regain control.
The Gators launched 19 3-pointers in the opening half, making seven. They finished 9-for-25 from behind the arc and shot just under 38 percent overall in extending their non-conference home winning streak to 17 before a crowd of 11,125.
Lance Williams led DePaul with 17 points. Although Simmons was held to his lowest point total of the season - seven below his average - he did grab 11 rebounds and finish with a team-high three assists.
Sawyer, averaging nearly 14 points and just over 10 assists, had six points and two assists.