Kansas vs. Florida: Score and Twitter Reaction for SEC/Big 12 Challenge 2014

After a miserable first half, Kansas stormed back in the second to secure a 71-65 win over Florida in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

The Gators led by 15 at halftime and as many as 17 in the second half before the Jayhawks turned things around. With the Allen Fieldhouse crowd behind them, the home team outscored its opponent 47-26 in the second half to come through with a big win to move to 6-1.

Florida now owns just a 3-4 record on the year, a far cry from what was expected from the preseason Top 10 squad.

Wayne Selden was the star of the show for Kansas, with 21 points to lead all scorers. After a few poor shooting days, he was aggressive with the ball and knocked down some tough mid-range jumpers to help seal the win.

Freshman center Cliff Alexander also had a big day for the Jayhawks, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

The Gators will certainly leave with a sour taste in their mouth, but one positive could be the production of Chris Walker. The former McDonald's All-American totaled a career-high 12 points to go with five rebounds.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN saw a difference early on:

Unfortunately, it seems like a lack of depth once again became an issue for Florida, as the team simply couldn't get anything done in the second half. Seth Davis of CBS Sports notes the offense as the major issue without Eli Carter:

This is not how the game seemed to be going early on. The first few minutes featured a close battle, but the Gators had a small advantage, thanks to Devin Robinson, who had eight points in the first half. ESPN's Fran Fraschilla liked what he saw:

A 25-4 Florida run then blew the game open, as the road team was able to build up a 39-24 lead at halftime. Paul Biancardi of ESPN.com noted what was going well for the Gators:

Bleacher Report's C.J. Moore discussed the surprise from the early action:

Interestingly, the Gators had a more dominant showing in the first half than Kentucky did in its blowout win over Kansas, via Jesse Newell of the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Amazingly, the one-sided showing in the first half was completely reversed in the second as the Jayhawks took control of the game. Selden led the charge by being more aggressive offensively and creating shots for himself.

At the same time, the defense that couldn't stop anyone in the first half started to improve as the Gators seemed to lose all confidence offensively. ESPN's C.L. Brown noted the progression:

The comeback continued until Kansas was able to tie the game at 52-52 and take a lead on a Selden jump shot a minute later.

A game that seemed ready to be a blowout in favor of Florida suddenly became one in the other direction. Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports provided a breakdown of the run:

"

Typically 17-0 runs are good. This second half has been exceptional for Kansas. Physical D leading to transition O. Selden playing great.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) December 6, 2014"

With the Gators unable to get a field goal for over seven minutes of game time in the second half, Kansas simply made its free throws to close out a quality victory.

Florida coach Billy Donovan came into the game knowing his team needed to prepare for a tough battle, giving plenty of praise for Kansas' roster early in the week:

"

They’ve got, in my opinion, really a complete team. They certainly have a terrific frontcourt and some very, very good backcourt players. Their talent level is extremely high. They’re learning and growing as they go. If you look at their pieces, frontcourt and perimeter, they have it all.

"

While his squad did get a big lead early, the Jayhawks eventually showcased their talent with an impressive come-from-behind victory.

Florida returns home Monday with a matchup against Yale. While this seems like it would be an easy win on paper, the Bulldogs are coming off a victory at Connecticut, meaning the Gators will need to be prepared for a possible upset.

Things do not get any easier for Kansas as the team will go on the road to face Georgetown on Dec. 10. The Jayhawks like to challenge themselves in the nonconference schedule, but this will be yet another tough battle before Big 12 play begins.

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