New-look Gators pound William & Mary
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Dorian Finney-Smith hurt his left wrist but returned to score 15 points, as the seventh-ranked Florida Gators cruised past the William & Mary Tribe, 68-45, in the season opener for both teams.
Junior shooting guard Michael Frazier II is the lone returning starter from a 2013-14 Florida team that went 36-3 and swept both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles by going undefeated in the league en route to the Final Four.
"I thought we were better defensively," said Gators coach Billy Donovan. "I thought we made some good strides."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The new-look Gators enter this season trying to replace four senior starters from last year's squad. The group, which included SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather, Will Yeguete and Patric Young, won 120 games as a class.
Frazier ended with 12 points for the Gators (1-0), who won their 24th consecutive season opener and improved to 19-0 on opening night under coach Billy Donovan. Jon Horford added 11 points.
Omar Prewitt had 15 points for the Tribe (0-1), who went 20-12 last season and lost three starters in the offseason. Marcus Thornton, named the CAA preseason player of the year, tallied 10 points.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We did a decent job with the ball," William & Mary coach Tony Shaver said. "Having only 12 turnovers is really good in an environment like this."
Game Notes
Florida and William & Mary met for the first time ... The Gators have won a school-record 33 consecutive games at home.