The Gators didn't shoot the ball well from three (28.6 percent); didn't dominate the offensive glass (4 OReb); and Patric Young wasn't able to establish any kind of rhythm in the post (3 points) but Florida took a 36-30 half time lead over the Marquette Golden Eagles thanks to their defense.
Marquette shot just 31 percent from the field in the first half and only seemed to be effective if they were running the ball. Billy Donovan had his Florida team picking up the Golden Eagles full court which seemed to take Marquette out of any kind of flow.
In the first half anyway, the equation was simple: If Florida scored or was able to prevent a break away, Marquette found it nearly impossible to score. Offensively, the Gators were patient and moved the ball and were able to get open looks. If they had connected on a handful more of those uncontested shots, they would have been up by double digits or more.
Bradley Beal was the star of the show. The highly-touted NBA prospect led all scorers with 10 points on 4-5 shooting. He also impacted the game without the ball, logging four rebounds, two steals and a block in 15 minutes of play.