The Florida Gators had their chances against the Oklahoma Sooners in their opening round game of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Monday.
But at too many moments, Oklahoma was big, and the Gators came up short.
The Sooners got 18 points from Christian James and outrebounded Florida throughout Thursday’s matchup, then held on late for a 65-60 win over the Gators that relegates the Orange and Blue to the losers’ side of the Battle 4 Atlantis bracket.
Florida had moments of inspired play, erasing deficits with runs midway through the first half and late in the game and spurting out of the locker room to a small lead, but Oklahoma controlled this game almost from tipoff — largely by controlling the glass.