Florida matchup was ‘David vs. Goliath’ for HBCU

TAMPA, FL — The historic run of Prairie View A&M, met an immovable object of biblical proportions in the form of the Florida Gators.

The physical mismatch was evident from the opening tip, though Prairie View didn’t back down. But a tie-game led to an 18-0 run, prompting Prairie View head coach Byron Smith to resort to a higher power. He was asked what his team needed to climb back into the contest. “I think we need some help from the Lord,” Smith quipped during the in-game interview.

Divine intervention aside, the reality on the hardwood was harsh. The Panthers suffered a 114-55 defeat, overpowered by a towering Florida roster that dominated the interior. In his post-game press conference, Smith didn’t mince words about the sheer physical toll the matchup took on his SWAC Champions.

“Obviously Florida’s size, really caused problems for us,” Smith explained. “They shot the ball at a really high percentage”.

The statistics backed up his candid assessment. Florida shot a blistering 64.3 percent from the floor and decimated Prairie View on the glass. UF pulled down 54 rebounds to the Panthers’ 20. Also, the Gators lived near the rim, racking up an eye-popping 64 points in the paint.

“So we got down a little bit early and was playing catch up from behind most of the night,” Smith noted. “So that’s a tough way to go… came up short tonight against a bigger, faster, quicker team”.

While the Prairie View defense was under constant siege, their offense also struggled to maintain its rhythm under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. After what Smith described as a decent start, the offensive execution began to unravel against the Gators’ length.

“I think we just kind of the ball stuck and we told them it can’t stick,” Smith detailed. “And by that we didn’t pass the ball. You know moving the ball around kind of get away from our offense. Don’t play a little too, too much one on one basketball. And I think they capitalize on that”.

For Prairie View, playing isolation basketball against a Goliath like Florida is a recipe for a quick exit. Smith readily acknowledged the elite pedigree of the opponent standing across from them. He pointed out that the Gators posed problems “especially with their size, experience at 7 or 8 guys, you know, returning from a national championship team”.

Despite the lopsided scoreboard, reaching the NCAA Tournament remains a massive achievement for the HBCU squad. They ran into an absolute buzzsaw in Tampa, but Smith’s honest reflections provide a clear picture of the physical hurdles mid-major programs face in March.