No. 5 Florida Men’s Basketball Team Survives Close Call in Columbia

Florida overcame a 14-point second-half deficit Wednesday for a 70-69 win when Will Richard scored on a driving layup with 4.8 seconds remaining.

The No. 5 Gators (17-2, 4-2 SEC) seemed a bit rattled by the environment at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. Behind since the opening tip and trailing 52-38 at the 12:46 mark of the second half, the Gators turned up the defensive pressure for the comeback.

Richard finished with 22 points for the Gators, the last two after he drove left from the top of the key and banked in the go-ahead layup. He became the 56th UF player to reach the 1,000-point milestone in program history.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Richard said. “I knew we were down one. The play was to get me a little slip three or get Walt a layup, but I saw the [defender] close out a little hard and I went. [Alex] Condon did a great job of ducking, and I just had to do a great job of finishing it.”

Jacobi Wright missed a last-second 3-point attempt that would have won the game for the Gamecocks and given them their first win in the conference this season. Instead, they fell to 10-9 overall and 0-6 in the league.

Florida only led for the final 4.8 seconds.

TWIZZ CLUTCH.

Will took the lead + the dub pic.twitter.com/WJ87qJuUHC

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 23, 2025

Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 16 points while also breaking the Florida program record for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer at 42.

The Gamecocks did not make it easy for the Gators. Zachary Davis scored 22 points for the Gamecocks alongside four assists and five rebounds and Collin Murray-Boyles contributed with 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Florida outscored South Carolina 22-0 on fast-break points, most on its 13 steals.

“Obviously, I’m thrilled to be able to sneak out of here with a win,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “I thought South Carolina played very well. I thought they controlled the game. I thought they were the more physical team. I thought they hit big shots and stepped up in big moments. They played a very good game. I am very proud of our guys, though, for staying the course.

“Obviously, being down 14 with 12 minutes to go, it wasn’t looking great, but our guys were able to execute defensively and turn them over a little bit and then step up and hit some big shots.”

Up Next

The Gators shift their focus to Saturday’s game when they will host the Georgia Bulldogs, who suffered their third consecutive loss Wednesday night at Arkansas, 68-65, to fall to 14-5, 2-4. Saturday’s game is set for a 3:30 p.m. start on the SEC Network and 3 p.m. coverage on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

RECAP: Will Richard is the hero as UF escapes with a 70-69 win over South Carolina on the road!

️ @MattRothmann and @robruss0 pic.twitter.com/MdC5cdCX5b

— Orange & Blue Sports Network (@OBSNGators) January 23, 2025