Florida gets Wilbekin back, tops Middle Tennessee State

• Kenny Boynton had 20 points as Florida beat Middle Tennessee State 66-45 on Sunday.
• Scottie Wilbekin returned from suspension and had eight points for the Gators.
• The Blue Raiders made just 3 of their first 14 shots.

TAMPA - Kenny Boynton was on, Scottie Wilbekin is back and Will Yeguete was his normal self. The combination for a good for Florida's 66-45 win against Middle Tennessee State on Sunday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The 10th-ranked Gators (3-0) led just 29-26 at the half. But the Blue Raiders (2-1), the defending Sun Belt Conference regular season champions returning virtually intact, shot just 26.9 percent from the field in the second half with just seven field goals as Florida pulled away.

"It was one of those games, it was just a grind it out game,'' UF coach Billy Donovan said.

Yegeute had 11 points and totaled 13 rebounds as a major force in the first half to keep the Gators ahead. Boynton was the finisher, scoring the game's final 13 points to finish with a game-high 20. He passed Tampa native Dwayne Schintzius for sixth on the Gators' all-time scoring list early in the second half.

"It meant something to me. I didn't know how far I was away from it, honestly I still don't know how far I was when I got it,'' Boynton said. "I didn't even know when I got it, but it definitely means something to me to move up on the list.

"It means a lot. I know the guy I passed, Dwayne, was a Tampa native. To do it here means a lot, also. But really, it's better to get the win.''

Boynton confessed of the all-time list: "I definitely want No. 1.''

The Gators' all-time scorer is Ronnie Williams with 2,090 points. Boynton current sits at 1,641. He needs 38 to pass Stacey Poole for No. 5. Former teammate Erving Walker is at No. 4 with 1,777 while Udonis Haslem sits third at 1,781 and Andrew Moten rests second at 1,930.

Wilbekin did set any scoring records but the eight points he had, along with three assists and three rebounds may have been just as significant on the current Gators team, simply because he's back.

The junior saw his first action since being suspended at the start of the season for undisclosed disciplinary issues.

"Honestly it felt kind of weird at first after missing three games,'' said Wilbekin who gave UF starting guards some huge rest by rotating in and out and as a two-year veteran his impact was obvious on other players.

He said of the suspension: "I just learned if you make mistakes they catch up with you and you've got to move past it.''

Wilbekin said he addressed the team about his mistakes and it "won't happen any more.''

Florida didn't shoot particularly well early. But Yeguete, who also made the first 3-point basket attempted in his three-year career, scored inside to make it 14-10.

Center Patric Young, who finished with 9 points, picked up his second foul at 11:37 and Middle Tennessee, after a 4 for 14 start, got a couple of quick baskets to pull even at 17. Wilbekin scored his first basket at the 5:33 mark to put Florida ahead 22-20.

It was tied one final time before Yeguete, who had eight of the Gators' 21 rebounds in the first half, got back-to-back buckets off offensive boards to give the Gators a 26-22 advantage and the lead for good. Boynton followed with a pair of free throws for UF's biggest lead of the half, 28-22, at 1:15. Yeguete, who had nine points at the break, hit a free throw for a 29-26 Gators halftime margin.

UF started the second half with a 9-2 run to go up 37-28. Boynton's basket and free throw at 14:53 enabled him to eclipse Schintzius, who passed away April 15 after a battle with cancer.

The Blue Raiders made just 3 of their first 14 shots from the field in the second half as Florida put together another big run to increase the lead to 48-33 on a Young free throw with 8:55 left in the game.

MTSU was never close after that. One UF issue, though, was the combined 7 of 17 free throw shooting by Yeguete and Young. Florida was in the double bonus the final 10 minutes but shot just 58.3 percent from the foul line or the game would have been much more of a blowout.

With the return of Wilbekin adding more depth, more good news could be on the way. Donovan said guard Casey Prather, who has yet to play this season after a pair of concussions, will start workouts and there's a chance he could play on Friday against UCF.

David Jones writes for Florida Today.