Florida Gators

WHAT HAPPENED: Sophomore guard Will Richard scored 12 points, burying four of five 3-point attempts, fifth-year forward Colin Castleton added 13 points and Florida got out of Humphrey Coliseum with a Southeastern Conference road win Saturday night, a 61-59 victory that tested the Gators' grit in the second half, especially on the game's final possession. The Bulldogs fell behind by 16 in the first half but used a 23-7 spree that bridged the two halves to make it a game and tie the score twice midway through the second half (at 43 and 45). But a 7-0 run by the visitors helped them work to a 10-point lead, 60-50, with four minutes to go. Back came the home team, with a 9-1 blitz, again to draw within two, 61-59, with 1:28 to go. After three straight empty possessions (two by UF, one by MSU, the Bulldogs had a chance to win the game with 13 seconds left, but the Gators defended a pair of shots (or the Bulldogs missed them, depending on your view), the last a short jumper in the paint by Cameron Matthews that spun the cylinder, popped away from the rim and was batted away by Castleton as time expired. Richard also had three rebounds and a couple blocks. Castleton hit just five of 14 shots and grabbed four rebounds, but was a focal point of the Bulldogs on defense. Sophomore guard Kowacie Reeves, battling through a horrific shooting slump, scored nine points in 18 minutes off the bench. Florida shot nearly 42 percent for the game and made 10 of 24 from deep against a defense that started the day ranked ninth nationally in overall efficiency. Guards Kyle Lofton and Myreon Jones, a pair of fifth-year seniors, combined for 11 assists and no turnovers against that aggressive, often-pressing and trapping defense. UF lost sophomore forward Alex Fudge (7 points, 3 rebounds) just eight seconds into the second half when he was involved in a hard collision trying to draw a charge. He left the game and did not return. Mississippi State, led by 12 points each from forward Tulo Smith (11 rebounds) and guard Deshawn Davis (three second-half 3s) finished at 39.3 percent (4 of 17 from 3), as the Gators held a sixth team in their seven SEC contests to under 40 percent.  WHAT IT MEANS: So 19 games into the season, the Gators have their first Quadrant 1 victory against six losses (it was seven earlier this week, but the Oklahoma defeat has fallen to the Q-2 category). They have also won three true road games, which is one shy of the number they won all last year, and sit in a two-way with Kentucky for fifth place in the SEC standings. UF had lost three of the last four against MSU and had not one in Starkville since 2017.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Freshman guard Riley Kugel signed with Mississippi State last year, but the former Orlando Dr. Phillips standout switched after the coaching switch there and opted to stay in state, instead. He enjoyed his pseudo-reunion with the Bulldogs, no moment more than early in the second half when he threw in a circus 3-pointer with a MSU defender in his jersey -- from about 35 feet. He hit another 3 later in the period to help stave off the home team's charge. Kugel finished with eight points and five rebounds. 

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators, at last, started the game very well and led at the first media timeout for just the second time in their seven SEC games, the other being an 8-6 advantage against Georgia. 

UP NEXT: Florida (11-8, 4-3), after back-to-back league road games, will be home Wednesday night against South Carolina (8-11, 1-5). The Gamecocks have lost three straight and four of the last five, with all those defeats at home, including Saturday's 81-66 setback against 16th-ranked Auburn. Two of the other home losses (Alabama and Texas A&M) were by more than 40 points. USC's lone win during that five-game span came at Kentucky, which means the Gamecocks, despite some ugly defeats, are more than capable of coming to Gainesville and stealing one.