Florida Escapes With Nail-Biting Win Against FSU

No. 10 Florida won its fifth straight game against rival Florida State, 78-76, Tuesday night in the O’Connell Center.

Coach Todd Golden is now undefeated against Florida State since taking the program’s reigns. The battle was not easy, as Florida State (2-1) was one missed free throw away from tying the game at 74 a piece with 15 seconds left. FSU forward Chauncey Wiggins’ full-court heave was off the mark as time expired.

A second-half surge to overcome a 40-37 first-half deficit spearheaded by Boogie Fland and Thomas Haugh put Florida in the win column. Alex Condon hit two huge free throws to make it a two-possession contest after Robery McCray V missed a corner 3 that would have tied the game seconds away from the buzzer.

The Gators (2-1) played right into the Seminoles trap offensively. Florida State, led by first-year coach Luke Loucks, wanted to shoot 3s, play fast and force turnovers — and executed that game plan against the reigning NCAA champions. The Gators had a season-high 18 turnovers and allowed 34 3-point attempts. If Florida State had not gone cold from distance in the second half (4-for-17), the score is a lot different.

McCray took control of the FSU offense by pushing tempo off makes and misses. The Jacksonville transfer led the game in scoring with 29 points, including personal 6-0 run to cut the Florida lead to one with a minute to go. The Seminoles dominance in the 3-point column come from open shots off Gator missed defensive assignments in the fast break.

Haugh continued to be the best player on the floor. Whenever Florida needed a bucket, the ball was in Haugh’s hands downhill. He was able to stretch the court, even leading transition off a defensive rebound. The 6-foot-9 junior plays is beginning to play more like a guard, which is a defensive nightmare for opposing coaches. He finished FSU’s matchup with a team-high 20 points and added 13 rebounds.

“I think these guys were able to find me more,” Haugh said. “They were able to get me on cuts, Condo (Alex Condon) got me on a couple cuts, got fouled, Boogie was able to give me the ball in the middle court and then we spaced out a little bit and I think it was just a good game from there.”

Fland hit his first 3 of the season to cut the Florida State lead to one early in the second half. He hadn’t hit a 3 in his first 2.5 games, starting 0-for-8 from distance. Fland looked comfortable for the first time all season in the second half, letting the game come to him. He spearheaded a 14-3 run 12 minutes in the second half with two steals and 7 points. The Arkansas transfer finished with a season-high 18 points.

“We needed a couple of guys to find a way to put a shot in and Boogie started it by getting the first one to drop,” Golden said. “Hit a big-time corner three that allowed us to extend.”

Florida stuck to its rebounding identity by dominating the glass 58-36. Rueben Chinyelu played his best game of the season, with 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. His physicality shined, out bodying FSU center Alex Steen, which sidelined him for much of the second half due to foul trouble.

“Hadn’t played his best in the first couple of games, but Rueben understands and our team understands how important he is to our success,” Golden said. “I thought he did a great job controlling the boards and I also thought he did a really good job switching on their guards and doing a pretty good job of not getting driven for layups. So really a big game for Reuben and really proud of his effort.”

After a dominant performance against North Florida, Alex Condon was silenced once again. He had six turnovers and only five shot attempts for 11 points. The All-America was doubled in the post for the first time this season. The added pressure allowed for easy Florida baskets when the ball was reversed to the other side of the court, but Florida State did a solid job forcing a mistake before that could happen. Condon is the key to Florida’s success, but had another lackluster performance similar to Arizona.

Offensive concerns

For the third game in a row, the Gators shot below average from beyond the arc. Florida was able to crawl out of the hole in the second half thanks to heightened defensive pressure and dominance on the glass. The Gators shot 6-31 from 3 with 18 turnovers and won. Against stronger teams like No. 3 UConn and No. 4 Duke, Florida has to be all gas no breaks.

Xaivian Lee was 1-10 from 3, including a step-back 3 early in the shot clock up 71-68 with a minute and a half to go. He is now 6 for 34 (%) on the season.

Urban Klavzar hit a huge corner 3 to make the game 74-70 with a minute to go, his only make of the game (1-for-4). Isaiah Brown took over CJ Ingram’s role as the backup small forward, but his performance was still lackluster with only one shot attempt and a turnover. UF’s depth was a preseason attribute, but now it is a major concern. After Micah Handlogten, no one has really stepped up.

Up Next

Florida (2-1) faces Miami (3-0) in VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball