UF coach Todd Golden leads post-game cheers after Gators' stirring rally Friday at FSU.
Charting the Gators: Second-Half Comebacks
Monday, November 21, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The scoreboard at Tucker Center pretty much taunted the visiting Florida Gators for about an hour Friday night. With less than a minute to play in the first half, the Gators were down by 19 points before forward Colin Castleton tossed in a bucket in the post with 27 seconds to go.
The number was 17.
"We dug ourselves a pretty big hole, honestly," Castleton said.
And when that happens, especially on the road, a team can either wallow it that hole or start trying to dig out of it.
The Gators, of course, did the latter, did it quickly and now have a reference point from which to operate when adversity strikes this season. Call it "The Rally in Tally." Thanks to a rapid-fire trio of double-digit shutout runs — all over the first nine-plus minutes of the second half — UF retook the lead with 13:40 to play and never gave it back, running away for a 76-67 victory that marked the second-largest halftime comeback in Florida basketball history.
So what about the first-largest?
Consider this a history lesson.
Forward Colin Castleton (12) scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half Friday.
It happened nearly 30 years ago when UF went to South Carolina and was down by 22 points with 1:50 to play in the first half and left Columbia with an 80-73 victory in Coach Lon Kruger's third season. Kruger, by the way, was inducted Sunday night into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.
The Gators in that one trailed 46-28 at the break, but outscored the Gamecocks 52-27 in the second half by opening the period with a 17-2 run that basically erased the deficit. The UF defense limited USC to just nine field goals after intermission, with senior forward Stacey Poole leading the way with 16 points and seven rebounds, followed by 14 points and a trio of 3s from junior guard Craig Brown. Senior guard Scott Stewart hit six straight free throws over the final 31 seconds to ice the game.
It was a richly satisfying night in the Palmetto State for that UF team, just like Friday night gave Todd Golden his first signature victory as Florida's coach. In further historical teams, it was 182nd time the Gators won a game when trailing at the half.
Here's a closer look at their biggest comebacks.
CHARTING THE GATORS
The comeback Friday night at Florida State marked the fourth-largest deficit (down 19 in the first half) overcome in a victory during Florida's basketball history. The 17-point halftime deficit made for the second-largest margin ever overturned when trailing at the break. Below is a list of the 18 times a Florida basketball team has come back from a halftime deficit of 10 or more to win.
This quartet of former Gators (from left) -- Scottie Lewis, Andrew Nembhard, Tre Mann, Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Keyontae Johnson -- whoop it up in the final moments of their 2020 rally from 22 points down to defeat Georgia and tie the biggest comeback win in UF basketball history.
Deficit
Opponent
Date
Coach
Final score
The buzz
18
at South Carolina
Feb. 24, 1994
Lon Kruger
80-73
Wicked flurry to start the second set the stage for the record road rally.
The Gators, who trailed by 19 late first half, used second-half runs of 10-0, 14-0 and 10-0 on the way to scoring 33 of the period's first 38 points that stunned the Seminoles on their home floor.
15
at Jacksonville
(Gator Bowl Tournament)
Dec. 26, 1973
John Lotz
64-62
This was four seasons after Artis Gilmore, Rex Morgan and JU reached the NCAA championship game and lost to John Wooden's UCLA dynasty.
Georgia
Feb. 5, 2020
Mike White
81-75
Career high-tying 25 points from sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard fueled the comeback from 22 down in first half and offset 32 points from 2020 NBA first overall pick Anthony Edwards. This game equaled the '93 game at South Carolina as the program's largest come-from-behind win.
14
Vanderbilt
Dec. 18, 1967
Tommy Bartlett
74-72
Alligator Alley was rocking for the biggest comeback in that antique gym's lore.
Alabama
Jan. 4, 2020
White
104-98 (2OT)
Nembhard with 25 points, forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. with 24 points, 16 rebounds, freshman wing Scottie Lewis with his first college double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in the second-largest overall comeback (21 down in the first half) which came barely a month before the record UGA rally listed above.
13
at Texas A&M
Jan. 22, 2019
White
81-72
KeVaughn Allen's scored a season-high 31 points and paired with a career-best 27 from Noah Locke, as duo combined to make 15 of 23 from arc (Allen with eight, Locke with seven).
Oklahoma State
(SEC/Big 12 Challenge)
Jan. 29, 2022
White
81-72
After a lackluster first half, White tabbed three deep-bench reserves (Niels Lane, Eli Kennedy, Tuongthach Gatkek) to start second half and their energy inspired a comeback from a deficit that was as high as 16 in the first half.
12
Georgia
Feb. 12, 1975
Lotz
66-65
Gator Great Chip Williams with 16 points, 13 boards.
11
Kentucky
Jan. 15, 1972
Bartlett
72-70
UF took down Adolph Rupp with just the eighth win (in 37 tries) against the Wildcats.
Georgia
(SEC Tournament at Knoxville, Tenn.
March 10, 1989
Norm Sloan
62-61
Dwayne Davis's tip-in with five seconds left gave UF its first lead of the game and a berth in the SEC tourney semifinals.
Penn
(NCAA Tournament at Seattle)
March 11, 1999
Billy Donovan
75-61
Quaker standout Jed Ryan had 22 points, including six 3s in first half, but was blanketed and held scoreless in the second, as Gators out-scored the Ivy League champs 43-18 after the break for Billy D's first NCAA win.
No. 24 Vanderbilt
Jan. 31, 2007
Donovan
74-64
Point guard Taurean Green keyed 13-point spree to start the second half and senior guard Lee Humphrey dropped a trio of 3s over a 90-second span to open up a lead for the top-ranked and defending NCAA champions.
No. 25 Alabama
Feb. 14, 2007
Donovan
76-67
Green scored 20 points and UF tied its school record with a 17th straight win.
10
Ole Miss
Jan. 29, 1973
Bartlett
65-59
Senior guard Tony Miller led the SEC in scoring at 26.7 per game the season before, including a school-record 54 vs. Chicago State
at South Carolina
Feb. 27, 2005
Donovan
66-65
Senior center David Lee's offensive rebound and putback with 13 seconds left capped a furious rally, as the Gameocks built that 10-point lead to 17 early in the second half before UF mounted its comeback and secured the largest ever by a Donovan-coached team.
at Ole Miss
Jan. 26, 2012
Donovan
64-60
Patric Young (15 points), Erving Walker (10 points, 9 assists, 1 turnover) led a comeback after Rebels hit their first six shots from the 3-point line to led 20-4 to start the game.
LSU
(SEC Tournament at Nashville, Tenn.)
March 15, 2019
White
76-73
Nembhard's 3-point dagger from top of key (on a great drive-and-kickout pass from Keyontae Johnson) with one second left stunned the regular-season SEC champion and put UF in the tournament semifinals for first time in five years.
