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Outside shooting key to success for Florida

Nov 20, 2008 - 11:23 AM Southern Utah (1-0) at No. 19 Florida (2-0) 8:00 p.m. EST

GAINESVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Florida may be capable of scoring inside, but that is not stopping the Gators from winning games on the outside.

The 19th-ranked Gators look to open the new season with three straight wins when they host Southern Utah on Thursday.

Florida made 45 percent (14-of-31) of its 3-pointers on Sunday en route to an 81-58 victory over Bradley in the CBE Classic.

Dan Werner and Walter Hodge led the potent 3-point attack with 17 points apiece as the Gators advanced to face Syracuse in a semifinal matchup in Kansas City on November 24. Hodge knocked down five of his nine attempts from behind the arc and Werner sank another four 3-pointers.

Florida held a 36-26 rebounding edge, including 16-6 on the offensive glass, against Bradley, but coach Billy Donovan realizes his team's strength lies away from the basket.

"We're not going to be a team that dumps it into the post, but I think there are still some things we can do with dribble penetration and spacing," Donovan told the Gainesville Sun. "We won the game (on Sunday) because of the 3-point line."

Before the Gators turn their attention to advancing to the finals of the CBE Classic, they'll have to face Southern Utah, which opened its campaign with a 85-73 victory over Mesa State on Saturday.

Senior center John Clifford poured in a career-high 24 points to lead the Thunderbirds, making all eight of his shots from the field while adding seven rebounds and three blocks.