Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jonas Aidoo (9) in the second half Saturday at Bud Walton Arena. Florida won 71-63. [Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images]

Florida Men’s Basketball Hands Arkansas Its Third Consecutive Loss

Jesse Bratman January 11, 2025 College Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball, SEC 184 Views

No. 8 Florida walked out of a soldout Bud Walton Arena with a 71-63 win against coach John Calipari‘s Arkansas Razorbacks 0n Saturday.

Arkansas’ defense was good enough to win the game, but offensively, it was like it was shooting with the lid still on the rim. Calipari is 0-3 to start conference play for the first time since he was at UMass in 1988. The Gators are 15-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC.

Arkansas Hot Start

Perhaps a little hungover from their 30-point win against No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday, the Gators saw the Razorback (11-5, 0-3) go on an 11-2 run to start the game.  The Gators only allowed the Volunteers to score four field goals for the entire first half last Tuesday. It was a different story in Fayetteville, as Arkansas dropped four buckets within the first three minutes. 

The Gators were not only letting up easy baskets, but were also cold from 3. They started off the game 0 for 8 from downtown. 

Haugh’s Heart

The Gators were able to crawl back thanks to the rebounding spark of Thomas Haugh off the bench. His four offensive rebounds contributed to second-chance baskets in a 11-2 Gators run of their own. Florida showed why it is the second best offensive rebounding team in the country, with 12 in the first half. 

Both teams struggled from the field early. Gator star guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard were virtually absent offensively.

After starting the game 4 for 4 from the field, Arkansas was 1 of 8 on layups and 1 of 7 on 3-pointers. The first half finished with the Gators up 28-25. It was the fewest amount of points scored in a half by both teams. 

Florida Pounds Paint

Usually a perimeter-scoring team, Florida ditched the 3 and turned to their bigs for offense. Thirty of their first 51 points came in the paint.

Adou Thiero and DJ Wagner could have been the only players on the court for Arkansas and the score would probably be the same. They provided a huge spark in the second half, attacking the basket to draw help from Gator bigs and set up easy dunks.  A viscous Wagner left-hand slam brought the game within three, 53-50. Thiero finished with a game-high 17 points before fouling out.

Battle of Former Owls

Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis, who were teammates on FAU’s Final Four run two years ago, guarded each other for a majority of the game. It is safe to say Martin won the battle, finishing with a team-high 14 points on 4/7 shooting from 3. Davis had 0 points on 0/8 shooting.

Despite Arkansas cutting the Florida lead to three, the Gators had a firm grip over this game. A late 3 and dunk from Alex Condon put the Gators back up 10. He had his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Gators looked better offensively in the second half, but the game felt like way more of a Razorback loss than a Gator win. Clayton and Richard finished the game with 12 points each. This was the Gators’ 17th consecutive game with 70 or more points.

Up Next

Florida plays Missouri (13-3, 2-1) at the O-Dome at 9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF). The Tigers cruised past visiting Vanderbilt (13-3, 1-2) 75-66 on Saturday.

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