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The No. 5 Gators men’s basketball team is looking for a win this Saturday as they face the Texas Longhorns. The Gators suffered their second loss of the season on Tuesday night against Missouri.
and-1 for #1 pic.twitter.com/YZPAA6T1xg
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 15, 2025
High Hopes
The Gators went into SEC play with a flying start. They were undefeated with 13 wins under their belt. Florida won big in both the ESPN Events Invitational against Wake Forest and Wichita State, and the Jumpman Invitational against North Carolina. Alijah Martin, Will Richard, and Walter Clayton Jr. all scored double figures in their last nonconference game versus Stetson, proving they were ready for SEC season.
walt triple pic.twitter.com/9DtqNIxuEp
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 15, 2025
Tough Start
Florida lost its first conference match against No. 10 Kentucky, 106-100. After this loss, they fell from No.6 to No.8 in the Top 25 AP Poll. However, they had a quick turn around as they blew out No.1 Tennessee 73-43, in their first conference game at home. Alijah Martin led the team in scoring with 18 points, and Denzel Aberdeen followed with 16 points. After this win, the Gators recovered and moved up to No.5 in the nation.
After their huge win versus Tennessee, the Gators traveled to face Arkansas. They won 71-63 with Alijah Martin scoring 14 points and Alex Condon posting a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Yet, this winning streak broke quickly as they lost 83-82 against Mizzou, at home. The Tigers built a 19 point lead early in the game, and were able to pull away from the Gators comeback in the second half. Caleb Grill put up his sixth 3-pointer late in the match with 2:33 remaining, putting the Tigers up 78-71. The replay shows Grill’s foot being very close to stepping on the line, which would have ruled his 3-point shot as a 2-pointer. Walter Clayton Jr.’s 28 points and Rueben Chinyelu’s double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds were not enough to secure the Gators a win.
Big-time shot from a big-time player 👀 #MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/dIsmuTbZwE
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 15, 2025
Moving Forward
The Gators will now face the Longhorns, at home this Saturday. Texas is 12-5 so far in the season, with three of their losses being in conference play versus Texas A&M, Auburn, and Tennessee. However, they are coming off of a much needed win against Oklahoma. Jordan Pope led Texas to the 77-73 win scoring 27, as Tre Johnson followed with 16 points. Florida is ready for redemption, especially on their home court.
