Florida Men’s Basketball Escapes Georgia at Home To Earn Fourth SEC Win

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team converted all six free throw attempts in the final 31 seconds in overtime Saturday to hold off the Georgia Bulldogs 102-98 at the O’Connell Center.

Alex Condon, Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin all converted to help the Gators win their third consecutive SEC game to improve to 4-3 in the league and 14-6 overall. Georgia dropped to 14-6, 4-3 after putting a scare into the Gators by overcoming a 21-point deficit in the second half to force OT by ending regulation at 85-all.

Starting off

After wins at Missouri and against visiting Mississippi State on Wednesday, the Gators looked to be in prime position to earn their third straight SEC win. Georgia was coming off a close 68-66 win against LSU and searching for its fifth win in the SEC. Both teams needed this win, with big tournament implications on the line.

Got the W#GoGators | presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/tfVPljXLwN

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 27, 2024

The Breakdown

Florida got off to a hot start, earning a double-digit lead just halfway through the first half. Clayton Jr. and Will Richard carried the load for the Gators throughout, with Clayton (11) and Richard (14) combining for 25 points in the first half.

Georgia struggled, shooting just 38.7 percent in the first 20 minutes. After shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor in the first half, Florida entered halftime up 47-34 after Pullin beat the buzzer for two.

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Wild Finish

Entering the second half, it was all Florida. The Gators jumped out to the 21-point lead early, thanks to a career day from center Micah Handlogten. The transfer from Marshall poured in 23 points and 17 boards, including seven offensive rebounds.

However, Georgia stuck around, cutting the lead to single digits with just under four minutes remaining. Guard RJ Melendez was cooking in this one, dropping 35 points on 68.4 percent shooting to keep the Bulldogs alive.

With Florida going cold, the Bulldogs went on a 13-4 run to tie things up at 85, when guard Blue Cain converting the game-tying bucket.

In overtime, it was Pullin time. The senior put 7 of his 20 points through the bottom of the bucket in extra time, showing off his poise and experience. Things grew tight late however, with a Clayton Jr. turnover leading to a Melendez 3 to cut the UF lead to just two, 100-98. With Pullin at the foul line, the UC Riverside transfer knocked down the free throws to ice the game .

The Stats

The Gators shot a blazing 54.9 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3. Florida had four players score 18 or more points, with Handlogten leading the way with 23 on 10-13 shooting. Clayton Jr was excellent from 3, knocking down four triples. Florida dominated the rebound battle by a staggering 48-27 margin. Handlogten brought in 17 rebounds. Defensively, the Gators forced just nine turnovers, stealing the ball seven times.

Georgia shot at nearly an identical clip to Florida, knocking down 52 percent. The Bulldogs shot the lights out from 3, shooting 42.3 percent. Georgia was led by Melendez off the bench, as he scored a game-high 35 points with six 3ss. On the boards, the Dawgs were crushed, with only one player grabbing more than three rebounds. Defensively, Georgia forced 19 turnovers, stealing the ball 10 times.

Up Next

The Gators will seek redemption Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky. The No. 6 Wildcats (15-4, 5-2), trailing by six points late on Jan. 6 in Gainesville, rallied for an 87-85 win. Game time is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN 98.1-FM and AM-850 WRUF.

UF will play at Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon before returning home for a game against Auburn on Feb. 10.