02-18-2016, 03:18 AM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Adidas Zx Flux White . -- Floridas seniors, those four guys who fell just short of the Final Four the last three years, talked about cutting down the nets after clinching the Southeastern Conferences regular-season championship. It was a brief conversation. And a unanimous decision. The top-ranked Gators chose not to break out the scissors. If they keep playing like they did against LSU on Saturday, they might end up with an even bigger celebration. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points, and Florida used a season-high 13 3-pointers to overwhelm the Tigers 79-61 and extend its school-record winning streak to 21 games. "Everybody on the team didnt feel comfortable cutting them down right now because we knew we have more of a journey to go," guard Casey Prather said. Prather and Michael Frazier II added 14 points apiece for the Gators, who also won their 31st straight at home. This one was never in doubt. Florida (27-2, 16-0 SEC) scored the first eight points of the game, opened up a double-digit lead with consecutive 3-pointers from DeVon Walker and Finney-Smith and put the game away early in the second half with a flurry of points in the paint. Prather made three consecutive driving finger rolls after the break. Patric Young had a dunk and then a left-handed hook shot. And Prather followed with a dunk and another driving layup that put Florida up 62-38 with about 11 minutes remaining. About the only thing left to see was whether Florida would cut down the nets. The Gators clinched the title Thursday night with Kentuckys loss to Arkansas, and many expected they would ceremoniously celebrate in front of a sellout crowd Saturday. It was never going to happen. Prather, Young and fellow seniors Scottie Wilbekin and Will Yeguete chose not to cut down the nets. "We felt it was given to us when Kentucky lost," Wilbekin said. "I was sitting on my couch watching TV. I didnt do anything." Coach Billy Donovan wouldnt have let them do it anyway, especially not with what happened in 2007. That team, the defending national champion led by Joakim Noah and Al Horford, cut down home nets after winning the SEC title and then lost its next two games. "I regret that," Donovan said. Although Donovan believes his senior-laden team can handle distractions, he figures its best to stay focused on the goals within reach. "You want to be playing well this time of year," Donovan said. "When you get to this point in time of the season, you dont want to play like youre trying to protect something, when youre back on your heels, We dont want to lose being No. 1 and we dont want to lose at home and we want to keep the streak going. "Once you get into trying to avoid things and trying to prevent things from happening, I think inevitably you get tight, you get frozen and you dont play. The biggest thing for us that Ive been trying to explain for our guys is there are things out there for us to chase. What are we going to chase? What are we going to go after?" Florida looked every bit like a championship-calibre team against LSU -- and in dominant fashion. The Gators had been in a number of nail-biters in recent weeks, winning their previous seven games by 10 points or less. They either trailed or were tied at halftime in each of those. This one was the complete opposite. The Gators never trailed. They led 41-25 at halftime and didnt even have a second-half lull. "It says a lot about the team," LSU coach Johnny Jones said. "They sit there and theyve already clinched the championship and for guys to come out and play as motivated and as hard as they did tonight. ... I think when you have a senior team like they are and guys are able to make plays like that and are used to winning, some great things can happen for you." Johnny OBryant III led the Tigers (17-11, 8-8) with 18 points. Jordan Mickey added 14 points and 10 rebounds for LSU, which lost its seventh straight on the road. There was little LSU could do to stop Florida, which just got hot from the 3-point line. The Gators made 13 of 23 from behind the arc. It was just the fourth time this season that they reached double digits in 3s. "I was happy our guys shot the ball with confidence and it was good to see the ball go in the basket for those guys," Donovan said. Adidas Superstar 2 Women . - From his perch atop Regan Smiths pit box, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Adidas Stan Smith Nz . Guida, 25, saw limited action in 42 games with the Goldeyes last season. He hit .184 in 38 at-bats and registered an RBI. He didnt register enough at-bats to accumulate a year of service, so he remains a first-year rookie in the American Association.PHILADELPHIA -- Claude Giroux has put an early-season slump well behind him. At this rate, the Flyers captain is set to be remembered more for a fantastic finish. Giroux and Jakub Voracek each had two goals, and Michael Raffl and Steve Downie also scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. Andrew MacDonald had an assist in his first game since he was acquired from the New York Islanders. The Flyers won for the seventh time in eight games and are second in the Metropolitan Division, far removed from the team that started a franchise-worst 1-7. Giroux didnt score a goal in his first 15 games, but now has 23 in 63 games this season. Giroux and Voracek are hot at the right time. "Theyre the leaders of this team," goalie Steve Mason said. "When they are going, everybody follows." The Flyers chased Washington goalie Braden Holtby after taking a 4-0 lead early in the second period. Holtby was replaced by Philipp Grubauer for the rest of the game -- and could face some competition the rest of the season. The Capitals acquired Jaroslav Halak from Buffalo for backup goalie Michal Neuvirth and defenceman Rostislav Klesla at the NHL trade deadline earlier in the day. Alex Ovechkin, Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer nearly rallied the Capitals with three straight goals in the third. Brooks Laich also scored. "Its not how were supposed to start the game," Ovechkin said. "We just have to play better right away." Giroux continued to put a slow start far behind him as he leads the Flyers resurgence. His goals in each of the first two periods gave him nine in the last 11 games. Perhaps fueled by his Olympic snub, he has nine assists over that span, and has again positioned the Flyers as a tough post-season out. Both teams turned back the clock with a line brawl in the first period that saw Washingtons John Erskine and Philadelphias Vincent Lecavalier get tossed. Philadelphias Luke Schenn drilled Ryan Stoa into the boards, then was confronted by Tom Wilson. Wilson, who earned a 10-minute misconduct, fought Schenn while the rest of the lines went at it near the corner boards. Philadelphias Wayne Simmonds tried to pull off EErskine, allowing Lecavalier to get in a free shot. Adidas Superstar Sneakers Cheapest Price. The crowd went wild and helmets littered the ice during the brawl that finally ended with the Flyers short-handed. The Flyers killed the penalty -- and continued to dominate Washington. After three periods, the Flyers had outshot them 23-8. "There was a lot of emotion the first two periods," Giroux said. "There was a lot of good stuff." The ended the first period up 2-0. Sean Couturier freed the puck after a clean hit on Jack Hillen along the boards, and Giroux pounced for his first goal. Voracek scored less than 2 minutes later on a power-play goal, firing from the top of the circle. Mike Greens turnover early in the second led to Girouxs unassisted goal and Halls fifth goal of the season came on a deflection for a 4-0 lead. That was all for Holtby, who allowed four goals on 18 shots. "We didnt come out with enough to let them know that were here," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. The Capitals, just outside the playoff picture at the moment, nearly pulled off an amazing comeback. Ward made it 4-1, Ovechkin scored his 44th goal after the Flyers failed to clear the puck, and Brouwer fired a perfect pass from Hillen past Mason to make it a one-goal game. The Capitals took 12 shots on goal in the first 11 minutes, forcing Flyers coach Craig Berube to call timeout. Voracek gave the Flyers a needed cushion when he raced down the slot and pounded the puck past Grubauer for the 5-3 lead. Laich deflected the puck past Mason with 6 minutes left in the game to make it 5-4. But they could never score the tying goal. Downie capped the scoring with an empty-netter. Both teams were busy leading up to Wednesdays deadline. The Flyers landed MacDonald and sent defenceman Andrej Meszaros to the Boston Bruins for a 2014 third-round draft choice. Washington made two deals Tuesday, adding left wing Dustin Penner in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, while shipping forward Martin Erat to Phoenix. NOTES: With Halak unavailable, the Capitals recalled Grubauer from Hershey of the American Hockey League before the game. He had been scheduled to make a personal appearance at a Turkey Hill Mini Market in Lancaster, Pa. ... The Flyers won three of five games in the season series. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap soccer jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '