Monthly Archives: November 2021

Great Gator Basketball Win

Gator Sports
Photo by Mark Brown | Getty Images

Ohio State forward EJ Liddell’s six foot leaner rattled off the rim with eight seconds remaining in a tie game. What happened next was really fun for Florida fans.

Colin Castleton knocked the ball towards the perimeter where Myreon Jones picked it up and passed it off to Tyree Appleby at midcourt with just over three seconds left.

Despite having the timeouts available, Florida head coach Mike White opted to see what his veteran team would do in such a situation.

Instead, Appleby took a dribble and calmly sank a deep trey as time expired to give Florida the 71-68 victory to claim the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship.

The Gators moved to 5-0 on the season and continue to play a brand of basketball that is bringing a lot of excitement to the hardwood.

The Buckeyes led for more than 33 minutes including an 8-2 open to the game before the Gators managed to find any rhythm offensively.

Phlandrous Fleming scored a team high 19 points and hit 9-10 from the charity stripe, including four straight with 9:03 remaining to get Florida to within two just minutes after the OSU lead swelled to ten.

Prior to the game winning sequence, Appleby tossed it high and deep, but uber athletic Anthony Duruji rose up and slammed it home to tie the game at 68 and set up the grand finale.

Castleton added 11 points and 13 rebounds while CJ Felder was also in double digits with 10 points on 3-4 from the field. The Gators knocked down 37% of their attempts while allowing the Buckeyes to make 53%.

The Gators will return to the O’Dome with a matchup against Troy on Sunday before traveling to Oklahoma for a date with the Sooners next week.

The game against the Trojans will tip at 12:00 PM and air live on SEC Network.

$450,000 for illegal immigrants?

News, Opinion

For the thousands of immigrants who entered the southern border illegally in 2018, the Biden administration is considering awarding each as much as $450,000 for separating migrant children from their parents.

During its zero-tolerance approach to border control, the Trump administration stopped everyone crossing the border illegally and children were separated from their parents and put on a separate administrative tracNow, White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is “perfectly comfortable” paying migrant families who crossed illegally and were separated, the New York Post reported.

The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families around $450,000 per person, according to people familiar with the matter, as a way to resolve lawsuits filed on behalf of parents and children, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The total potential payout could be $1 billion or more, The Journal said, as the American Civil Liberties Union is representing families in one of the lawsuits and has identified about 5,500 children separated at the border over the course of the Trump administration.

Around 940 claims against the federal government have so far been filed, The Journal reported. The suits allege the government subjected them to lasting psychological trauma, as some families were broken up with no way to track and later reunite them, government investigations found. The lawsuits claim some of the children suffered from heat exhaustion and malnutrition, and were kept in cold rooms and provided little medical attention, The Journal said.
 

While children — who had no say in being brought here illegally by their parents or by smugglers — should have their basic needs met while in government custody, there should be a resounding “no” to the idea of using taxpayer funds to settle for $450,000 a piece.

Congrats to Volleyball Team

Gator Sports

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 20 Florida volleyball team defeated the Auburn Tigers in straights sets on Wednesday night in Exactech Arena to extend its win streak to seven matches.

The Gators improve to 18-6 on the year and 12-2 in the SEC, while Auburn falls to 13-12 overall and 5-10 in league play.

UF took the first set handily with a 25-11 win and followed with a 25-15 victory in the second frame. The Gators secured the match with a 25-19 win in the final set.

Florida’s offensive attack was led by T’ara Ceasar, who posted 12 kills on the night. Thayer Hall followed with an 11-kill, .455 performance of her own, while Lauren Forte added 10 kills in the victory on a .667 clip.

Marlie Monserez dished out 39 assists in the match, moving her into the No. 5 spot in program history for career assists. She also led the team to a .305 clip on night.

The Gators held Auburn to a .089 hitting percentage on the night, the fourth time this season the squad has held an opponent below .100. Bre Kelley posted a team-high two blocks in the sweep.

Elli McKissock led Florida’s backcourt defense with a 17-dig performance, while Ceasar and Monserez pitched in 12 and 10 digs, respectively, on the night.

Four different players registered a service ace in the match – Trinity Adams, Merritt Beason, McKissock and Monserez.

The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule with a two-match series against the South Carolina Gamecocks, beginning on Saturday. First serve for Saturday’s match is set for 4 p.m., while Sunday’s match is slated for a 2 p.m. start. Sunday will also serve as Senior Day for Florida’s five seniors – T’ara Ceasar, Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte, Thayer Hall and Marlie Monserez.

Records
No. 20 Florida (18-6, 12-2 SEC)
Auburn (13-12, 5-10 SEC)

How it Happened

  • The Gators held control for the entirety of the first set, beginning with a 5-0 Hall service run to force an Auburn timeout at the 6-1 mark. The Tigers pulled to within five at 9-4, but Florida continued to strike, taking the 18-7 advantage to make Auburn use its final timeout. Out of the break, UF closed out a 7-4 run to take the first 25-11.
    • Florida hit a stellar .464 in the first set, while holding Auburn to a .000 clip. Ceasar, Forte and Hall each recorded four kills in the frame to lead the way offensively.
  • The second set started as a back-and-forth battle, with neither team holding more than a two-point lead until Florida strung together a 3-1 run to take the 10-6 advantage. The Gators continued to extend their lead, taking the 15-8 edge into the media timeout. UF grabbed all of the momentum coming out of the break, grabbing the 22-12 lead late in the frame. Florida capped off the set with two Sofia Victoria kills and a Ceasar kill to take the 2-0 lead in the match.
    • The Gators tallied 17 kills in the second set on a .364 hitting percentage. Beason posted a team-high four kills in the frame, while Ceasar and Hall each added three apiece.
  • Similar to the start of the second set, the beginning of the third frame was tight between the two squads until Florida was able to create some distance at the 14-9 mark. The Tigers cut the deficit to four at 16-12, then again at 20-16, but Florida was able to win the battle to 25, taking the frame 25-19.
    • Ceasar and Forte each recorded a team-high five kills in the third set, followed by four from Hall.

Notables

  • T’ara Ceasar recorded her team-leading 11th double-double in the match, finishing with 12 kills and 12 digs
  • Marlie Monserez notched her ninth double-double of the year, recording 39 assists and 10 digs
  • Florida improves to 52-2 against Auburn in the all-time series, including a 48-1 record under Mary Wise
  • The Gators are now 39-0 against the Tigers in three-set matches
  • UF improves to 26-0 against Auburn in Gainesville, Fla.
  • Florida is now 14-1 in three-set matches during the 2021 campaign
  • The Gators improve to 4-0 in the month of November
  • With her 39 assists, Marlie Monserez moved into fifth place all-time in career assists, surpassing Nikki Shade (3,429 – 1993-97)

Thoughts from Coach Wise

  • “We did a lot of things right following the game plan tonight. A lot of credit to the players for staying focused and executing to win in three in a week where we have so many matches in so few days.”

Up Next

  • The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule with a two-match series against the South Carolina Gamecocks, beginning on Saturday
  • First serve for Saturday’s match is set for 4 p.m., while Sunday’s match is slated for a 2 p.m. start
  • Sunday will also serve as Senior Day for Florida’s five seniors – T’ara Ceasar, Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte, Thayer Hall and Marlie Monserez.

No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina Broadcast Information – Nov. 20
Date & Time: Nov. 20 | 4 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: FloridaGators.com/watch

No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina Broadcast Information – Nov. 21
Date & Time: Nov. 21 | 2 p.m.
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM

Series Information – No. 20 Florida vs. South Carolina
Gamecocks | 2021 season synopsis: 13-11, 5-9 SEC

  • This is the 69th meeting between the Gators and the Gamecocks    
  • Florida leads the series 59-9 (53-3 under Mary Wise)
  • 3-set: 45-2 | 4-set: 10-4 | 5-set: 4-2
  • Home: 30-1 | Away: 27-6 | Neutral: 2-1
  • Last Time Out: Nov. 12, 2020 | Columbia, S.C. | L, 2-3 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 13-25, 12-15)

Congrats Colin Castleton

Gator Sports

After racking up 15 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and six blocked shots against 20th-ranked Florida State, Gators forward Colin Castleton has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.

With Sunday’s performance, Castleton now owns four career double-doubles and five games with a half-dozen or more blocked shots. Today also marks the third time the Deland native has earned conference player of the week honors, as the SEC rewarded him twice during the 2020-21 season as well.

During the season opener against Elon, the 6-foot-11, 231-pound Castleton produced 18 points and six more blocked shots, so to say he is off to a stellar start might be an understatement.

“It was about us and how hard we were going to play, how tough we were, how much heart we had, and we felt like we brought more of that than they did,” Castleton said after Sunday’s victory. “That helped us get the win. We did a lot more things that helped us win the game – played together and played for one another.”

The 24th-ranked Gators are 2-0 and scheduled to host Milwaukee on Thursday evening, with tipoff slated for 6:00 p.m. EST.

Jones Sets New Record

Gator Sports

A Record-Setting Performance During a Roller-Coaster Season for Gators QB Jones
Julianna Reichenbach, 

On the way to leading the offense to 70 points and 717 yards of total offense, Jones accounted for 550 yards — the most ever by a Florida player. More than Steve Spurrier, more than Tim Tebow, more than Kyle Trask.

Tebow owned the record (533 against Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl his senior season) for more than a decade until Jones, who finished 28 of 34 passing scorched Samford’s defense for 464 yards through the air and 86 rushing Saturday.

Breaking one of Tebow’s school records was an achievement he didn’t even realize until after the game.
Upon hearing the news, Jones praised his team and the game plan.
“A lot of guys went out there and made plays for me,” he said.​

IPhone Travel Tip

News

Tracking your flight is easier than you think. If you have an iPhone, that is.

For Apple users, you might be happy to find out that you actually have a built-in flight tracker already on your phone without having to download an app. All you have to do is open your Messages app.

According to the Cult of Mac, Mac and iOS systems have a tool called “data detectors,” which are features that recognize numbers like dates, addresses and yes, even flight numbers, and turns them into searchable links. So all you have to do is tap or click and voila: dates and times are suddenly in your iCal. Addresses are added to your contacts or opened in Maps. Tracking numbers go directly to USPS, FedEx or UPS. And simple flight numbers are easily tracked and updated, which is probably the best of all.

So, how do you get this magical tool to give you yours or your loved one’s flight details? Well, all you need to do is send (or have them send) the flight number in the Messages app.

Then, you’ll notice that the flight number will be underlined, like a link. Tap it, or click it if you’re using the app on your Mac, and you’ll be shown two options: either copy the number or track flight.

Obviously, track flight.

Once you tap this option, your phone or computer will open your flight details. If it’s already in the air, you’ll see how far along the flight is in its journey. If not, you can see if it’s still on time. Or, knock on wood, if it’s canceled.

And it’s just as accurate as going to an airline website or downloading a flight tracker, according to Cult of Mac.

 

Cult of Mac also added that if this trick doesn’t work (if the flight number is written somewhere else, like in an email or in the Notes app), you can also highlight and click the number, then select “Look Up” from the pop-up menu.

Easy-peasy. Now you can delete those useless flight tracker apps and use that precious phone space for even more beautiful vacation photos.

USA Today on Gator Win

Gator Sports

Florida snapped a seven-game losing streak against Florida State on Sunday with a 71-55 victory over the 20th-ranked Seminoles.

Defense set the tone early for the Gators. The ‘Noles couldn’t get much going in the first few minutes of the game, which forced them to play catchup for much of the half. Once they did get the lead, Florida took it right back after the half and ran away with it.

Colin Castleton, Florida’s star center, recorded his first double-double of the year, and forward Anthony Duruji emerged as the hustle player Florida desperately needed to energize the team.

Read the entire story here.

 

🏀 Congrats Gators 🏀

Gator Sports

In a gritty performance of defensive execution and timely shotmaking the Florida Gators exorcised their demons and finally, for the first time since 2013, beat their rival Seminoles coming away with a 71-55 victory. It was a tight matchup for most of the game until midway through the second half where the Gators started coming away with offensive rebound after offensive rebound allowing for high percentage shots and points that Florida State couldn’t match on the other end. Florida played with an intensity and confidence that we haven’t seen from recent rosters, and perhaps this game signifies just how tough an out these Gators will be all season long.