Florida Gators

WHAT HAPPENED: Fifth-year senior point guard Kyle Lofton scored a season-high 18 points and led five UF teammates into double-figure scoring, as the Gators weathered a second-half comeback by Mike White's Georgia Bulldogs to win their first Southeastern Conference game of the season Saturday at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center in the much-anticipated return of the former UF coach. Freshman guard Riley Kugel scored six of UF's final eight points, including a pair of rim-rattling dunks over the final half-minute to put the game away. Guard Will Richard had 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting with a couple 3s and a season-best nine rebounds, reserve guard Myreon Jones scored a season-high 13 points, with backup wing Kowacie Reeves and forward Colin Castelton each adding a dozen points for a Florida team that shot 49.2 percent on the night, including 55.2 after halftime. The Gators, after trailing by 13 in the first half, led by 13 with less than 10 minutes to play when the Bulldogs, behind guard Terry Roberts, the Bradley transfer UF aggressively chased in the transfer portal, began bringing his team back on the way to a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists. A rain of 3-pointers from Georgia (7 of 10 in the second half from deep) had the Dogs in striking distance -- the last from Kario Oquendo with 29.3 seconds just six seconds after Kugel's first slam -- pulled UGA with three points. Two free throws from Lofton with 17 seconds left pushed the lead back to five and the UF defense bowed up once more, with its late stop leading to the run-out finishing flush from Kugel with 6.9 seconds to go, as the O'Dome went nuts. Lofton the transfer from St. Bonaventure, hit seven of 11 shots to go with three assists. Castleton, who was 5-for-8 from the floor, stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high seven blocked shots. Jones nailed three of the team seven 3s (on four attempts) to finish five of seven from the floor in his best shooting game of the season, along with three rebounds and three steals.
  WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators avoided just the second 0-3 start in SEC play over the last 40 seasons, in addition to the obvious (as in avoiding a loss to their former coach). They also showed, despite an atrocious start, they can put two decent offensive games together. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: All the pregame hoopla focused on White, but Golden's first win as a coach in the SEC warrants mention. Give him a game ball. 

STAGGERING STATISTIC: Florida began the game by hitting just four of its first 21 field-goal attempts, then went 26-for-40 over the final 26-plus minutes. That's 65.0 percent.

UP NEXT: After two straight home league games, Florida (8-7, 1-2) is back on conference road Tuesday night to face LSU (12-2, 1-1) for the first two meetings against Tigers this season. LSU, which is on the road at Texas A&M later Saturday, has a new coach in Matt McMahon, by way of Murray State, and already has a home victory over Kentucky.