Winless In SEC South Carolina Visits No. 3 Florida

The South Carolina Gamecocks are playing the No. 3 Florida Gators at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the O’Connell Center.

It’s a sold-out SEC matchup that has a lot of importance for each team to win. The Gators (21-3, 8-3 SEC), who are without starting forward Alex Condon (sprained ankle), are playing to remain in the top three of the SEC standings. The Gamecocks (10-14, 0-11) are looking for their first conference win this season.

Last Time Out

The Jan. 22 game in Columbia was down to the wire, to the last play in when guard Will Richards scored a layup with 4.8 second left for the winning basket. The Gators had to rally from a double-digit deficit in the second half. The efforts on defense and the determination on offense allowed the Gators to come out on top.

This Season

The Gators’ resiliency has shown over and over they can get it done. The Gators were able to beat No. 22 Mississippi State, 81-68, in Starkville on Tuesday without Condon and guard Alijah Martin (hip injury).

Florida is 11-1 at home and, with the support of the Gators fans, looks to extend its winning streak to four games. Thomas Haugh is expected start in Condon’s place. No word yet in Martin’s availability.

On the other hand, the Gamecocks have not had any luck in conference play this season. Their near win came against the Gators, and even with home advantage, they were not able to keep their lead to lose by one point.

In the last 10 games between the Gators and the Gamecocks, it has gone 5-5. The Gamecocks have shown they can win in the O-Dome. In the last three meetings in Gainesville, the Gamecocks have won two, including when a struggling South Carolina team delivered the 22nd-ranked Gators a 72-66 loss at the O’Connell Center in 2021.