The Florida Gators, under Todd Golden’s coaching, put up a dominant performance against Dartmouth, but a 94-72 win doesn’t prove that the University of Florida team is flawless.

While speaking at the post-game press conference, Todd Golden, while pleased with the result, was not satisfied with the team’s performance. The coach acknowledged the intent and physical edge of his team early on. But felt the performance dropped a notch in the second half.

The coach stated, “But I don’t think we defended with enough tension in the second half. You know, I didn’t think we played with enough pace, enough physicality. That’s the kind of next step we keep talking about.”

Xaivian Lee stands as one of the primary ball-handlers and tempo-setters for the team and has often been in the coach’s good books. Even though Lee managed to score 12 points in the game, the coach expects good ball management from the other team members as well. Todd Golden linked that lapse with the developmental process rather than a one-off issue. He mentioned the non-negotiable standards that the team needs to maintain while they are on the court.

Golden further added, “With this group is we got to play a full 40.”

Gators’ coach also praised Dartmouth for playing a very good second half as they capitalized on the Gators’ flaws in the team’s defense.

How did Todd Golden’s team tackle one of Dartmouth’s strongest assets?

As Golden mentioned during the post-game press conference, Dartmouth put up a much stronger fight in the second half. The Gators managed to score 41 points while Dartmouth scored 45. One of the top scorers for Dartmouth was Kareem Thomas. While he managed to score 15 points in the game, including a three-pointer and six free throws, the Gators were able to block 8 of his 12 field goal attempts.

Discussing the same, Todd Golden appreciated his team for ensuring Thomas didn’t do more damage.

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“Yeah, we defended him well, I think we fouled him a couple times, or at least once on a three-point shot.”

Even though he managed to score in double digits, the team was already far behind the Gators.

After a comfortable win, the Florida Gators will next be seen playing against the Missouri Tigers on Sunday. On the 4th of January, Gators’ offensive strength would be tested against Missouri’s strong bench and ability to force turnovers. Mark Mitchell’s availability for the game remains a question. The focus now will be on how the Gators manage to overcome their shortcomings from this game against Dartmouth.