When John Calipari faced Cameron Boozer earlier this season, he called him a “beast.” He earned that praise. And the standout player continued his scoring form into the Florida Gators clash. After losing the matchup by just a point, head coach Todd Golden knew it was a tough pill to swallow, but he had a list of clear factors that defined the game: some he could live with and some he couldn’t. Unsurprisingly, Boozer appeared in the latter.

“What we couldn’t live with was allowing Cam to get back to his right hand, left shoulder, center of the line,” Golden said. “Giving him those right lane drives.”

Florida trailed most of the second half but finally tied the game with 2:39 minutes left. It came after Boogie Fland hit back-to-back midrange jumpers. But, just as the momentum shifted, Boozer answered with a huge three to put Duke back up 62-59. And that wasn’t the only moment that showcased his dominance.

Every time Fland hit a big shot, Boozer matched him. Even in the second half, when the game got sloppy and the crowd grew quiet, he brought life back to the Blue Devils. He drew a foul and sank two free throws. He stole the ball from Thomas Haugh. Then he drove hard to the rim for a strong finish. Those plays energized the entire building. But he did not stop there. 

Even in the final minute, Boozer made the right decisions. When Isaiah Evans knocked down the game-winning three, it was the standout youngster who delivered the perfect pass. Head coach Jon Scheyer called it a “great pass” too.

So when Todd Golden admitted that the freshman guard was punishing their defense, it made perfect sense, even though the Gators’ defensive plan was quite strong. 

“I thought Reuben shut his water off,” Todd Golden said of Boozer. “He didn’t allow that to happen. He kept beating him to the spot and made him counter. He made a couple of lefty, tough hooks, which we’ll live with. We kept him off the foul line that way. I thought our zone bothered him a little bit.”

And yes, Chinyelu defended Boozer much better after halftime. As a result, he scored 13 in the second half but went 4 of 12. Still, this wasn’t enough. Even after the Gators erased a 15-point deficit and took a 66-64 lead with 35 seconds left, the opposition still won by one.

Boozer finished with 29 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

What didn’t work for the Florida Gators?

For much of the game, the Gators were actually better. But a costly 19-5 run to close the first half changed everything. Shooting struggles hurt them too, as Florida shot 37% from the field and just 25% from three. Starters Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee were a combined 1 of 11 in the first half and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. But the loopholes weren’t limited to this.

To start with, Thomas Haugh carried Florida by himself early. He finished with 24 points, six rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal. He was basically their entire first-half offense. And without him, the rest of the team went just 4 for 26.

All Duke did was notice and adjust.

Even Fland was of no help in the first half. Though he eventually caught fire, shooting nearly 50% after halftime and adding three steals. He attacked the rim instead of forcing threes. But it wasn’t enough to flip the game.

Then, there was Xaivian Lee, who also had a difficult night. He shot 1 of 10, and the coaching staff benched him for much of the second half. Then came the miscues-forced threes. A lane violation on Alex Condon erased a missed Boozer free throw. And a missed goaltending call that should’ve gone Florida’s way.

So yes, there are loopholes that the Gators need to fix. But the bigger picture is still positive. That’s because they’re 5-3, and losses to Arizona and Duke aren’t the end of the world. They’ve got an excellent frontcourt, but it’s the backcourt that needs consistency. If they continue improving, they could peak by March.