No. 3 Florida Men’s Basketball Handles No. 12 Texas A&M

The No. 3 Florida men’s basketball team dominated in what felt like a must-win game against No. 12 Texas A&M at the O-Dome on Saturday.

Florida (25-4, 12-4 SEC) has not lost back-to-back games all season. After Georgia coach Mike White got his first career win against Florida in an upset Tuesday, the Gators did not let one loss turn into two. When Florida drops a game, it averages a 21-point victory in their next contest. Saturday’s matchup was no different — crushing the No. 12 Aggies 89-70.

This is the Aggies’ fourth straight loss. A&M (20-9, 9-7) came out the gate fired up to erase the cold streak. The Aggies quickly grabbed a 16-10 lead by hitting six of their first 10 shots. The Gators woke up and took control for the rest of the game, trying to avoid another game where they had to climb out of a deficit.

Will Richard followed up a career-high 30 point-performance against Georgia with a game-high 25 points against A&M. His scoring performance was efficient, going 9-for-13 from the field and 6-for-9 from 3-point range. He started the second half with back-to-back 3s. When A&M cut the lead to six midway through the second half, Richard put an end to a possible comeback with a dagger 3 from the corner.

“I’m just trying to stay aggressive,” Richard said. “Me being aggressive not only opens it up for myself, but my teammates as well.”

Once again, the Gators had five players score in double figures. Alex Condon appeared to be a lot healthier than he was against Georgia after sustaining an ankle injury Feb. 11 against Mississippi State. He had 11 points, including two dunks in a row that brought the Gator lead back to 10-plus. Thomas Haugh continued his SEC sixth man of the year campaign with 17 points. Alijah Martin hit four first-half 3s to finish with 14.

Walt and Micah’s Impact

Potential First-Team All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. only had 10 points. He usually gives the Gators 17.1 points a game. Despite lower offensive numbers, Clayton still made his presence felt on defense. When he drove to the rim, he drew double teams which set up Richard or Martin for a wide-open 3 on the perimeter. Despite going 3-for-13 from the field, he still had the highest plus/minus of any player with +20.

“As a head coach it feels a lot better when he’s on the floor than when he’s not,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “For us to be able to win by 19 when he’s 3-for-13 from the field says a lot about his teammates being able to step up, but also him being able to impact the game in other ways.”

On the defensive side, Micah Handlogten gave the Gators his best 20 minutes since his return. He went straight up to contest Aggie guards who tried to finish over him and gave up little room when Aggie bigs tried to post up. Handlogten also dominated on the glass with both four offensive and four defensive rebounds. He played like the most physical person on the court, with a plus/minus of +16 despite only scoring two points.

“He is such a luxury to have back. It just shows how much of a winning player someone can be without scoring a lot,” Golden said. “To go plus five on the boards against A&M is like going plus 25 against a normal team … His ability to get his hands on balls on the offensive glass and keep plays alive and create second chances for us … He just made a lot of winning plays.”

Taking On Taylor

Wade Taylor IV is the focal point of the A&M attack, averaging 15.3 points per game. It took him 30 minutes to make his first field goal against the Gators. Denzel Aberdeen and Alijah Martin were with him step by step on defense, forcing their way through screens and taking away his driving lanes. Taylor finished with 0 points in the first half, shot 1-for-7 from 3 and had a majority of his 11 points when the game was out of reach for the Aggies.

“Both of those guys [Martin and Aberdeen], their ability to impact at the top of our defense has been a big part of our growth,” Golden said. “We didn’t have that last year the way we do this year.”

Zhuric Phelps led the way for A&M with 16 points, followed by Pharrel Payne with 14.

SEC Tournament Implications

With a Gator win and Missouri (21-8, 10-6) loss to Vanderbilt 97-93 in an overtime thriller, the Gators need to win one more game in their last two to secure a top-4 seed in the SEC tournament. The four top seeds in the SEC get a double bye. This extra game could prove to be a difference maker, as Florida lost Handlogten to a broken leg after playing its fourth game in four days in the 2024 SEC Tournament.

Up Next

The Gators face No. 6 Alabama in Tuscaloosa (7 p.m. tip Wednesday, SEC Network, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF) in yet another projected top-10 SEC matchup. The Crimson Tide (23-6, 12-4) just lost to No. 5 Tennessee in heart-breaking fashion after a Jahmai Mashack buzzer-beating 3.

Florida is tied with Alabama for second place in the SEC standings — one game ahead Tennessee, two ahead of Missouri and A&M with two to play.

A Gator win on the road would put them at a No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament and give the NCAA selection committee a hard time not making them a 1 seed. They close the regular season with a 6 p.m. game Saturday in the O’Connell Center against Ole Miss.