GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It was role-reversal time late Wednesday, with Todd Golden throwing out the first question at his postgame press conference.
"Who's going to ask about free throws tonight?" the Florida coach said.
Topical subject, for sure, considering the Gators came into their game against Mississippi State ranked 309th nationally in free-throw shooting at 67.0 percent, though having improved that number incrementally since the start of Southeastern Conference play. They improved it even more against the Bulldogs – under duress, no less – as UF went 10-for-11 over the final minute and a half, including eight straight to end the game, and closed out a huge 79-70 victory at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.
Junior guard Will Richard scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds, carded two steals and blocked a pair of shots to lead the Gators (13-6, 3-3) to their second straight win, and third in their last four league contests. It was arguably his best game in a UF uniform.
But it was the trio of guards Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr., both of whom finished with 15 points, plus freshman backup forward Alex Condon who sealed the victory from the free-throw line after the Bulldogs (13-6, 2-4) had cut a 17-point late second-half lead to just six and went into automatic-foul mode as the Rowdy Reptiles leaned to the edge of their seats. That Pullin, the battle-tested fifth-year grad-transfer hitting team-high 82.8 on the season, knocked down his two was no surprise. Ditto for Clayton, who was at 77.4 percent on the season and last year led the nation in free-throw shooting. He was perfect on four.
But mixed among their six straight was Condon, the rookie at just 64.6 percent. He was the one MSU fouled after making it a two-possession game with 3:15 to play and after both teams swapped missed field-goal tries. With UF clinging to a 69-63 lead, Condon was hacked and coolly banged both with 1:32 to play.
"Big free throws for a freshman to make," Bulldogs coach Chris Jans allowed.
Freshman forward Alex Condon went 2-for-2 from the line with 1:32 to play after the Bulldogs had cut a 17-point Florida lead to six. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Condon was back at the line with 21 seconds left and the Gators up 10. Not as much pressure, but his two were more than welcome.
"It shows that we've been working on them," grad forward Tyrese Samuel said.
On a night the Gators shot 42.2 percent, nailed just eight of 25 from the 3-point line (32.0) and missed nine of their final 10 shots from the floor, they finished 17 of 20 from the line (that's 85.0 percent) and increased their free-throw percentage in SEC play to 73.1 percent.
They also moved into a four-way tie (along with LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M) for seventh place in the league standings, with a chance to make up more ground Saturday when Georgia (14-5, 4-2), in a three-way tie for fourth, rolls into the O'Dome.
"We're trying to go on a run and string some wins together," Pullin said.
Richard, who came in averaging 8.2 points in SEC play, hit eight of his 15 shots and banged four of seven attempts from 3. Four of his UF career-best nine boards were on the offensive end. Pullin's 15 points came on six of 13 shooting with one three to go with five rebounds, three assists and no turnovers over 35 minutes of engineering a UF offense that turned the ball over just seven times. Clayton was just 3-for-12 overall, but his three makes were 3s and two of them came after he left the game early in the second half with a wrist injury. He returned with his wrist wrapped and finished 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Samuel had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Defensively, the Gators guarded at 38.7 percent and held the Bulldogs to just eight makes on 33 attempts from deep. MSU won the rebounding battle, 46-41, including 22-15 on the glass, but UF hunkered down against second-chance opportunities, allowing only 16 points.
"This was a huge win for us and one that will travel," Golden said. "They're a very physical, very good team. They're very old with a lot of guys that have SEC experience. We felt that the first four minutes of the game."
At the first media timeout, MSU had a 9-1 advantage on the glass with six offensive rebounds. The score, though, was tied at 4-all.
The Bulldogs, the only SEC team to defeat red-hot Tennessee this season, led 15-10 about nine minutes, after a four-point play by freshman guard Josh Hubbard (26 points on 9-for-25 overall). The Gators, though, took off on a 13-2 run to go up by six and never trailed again, with Richard scoring 18 points in the period, with a trio of 3s, and pushing his team in front 43-34 with the last two baskets before the break.
"I was taking what the defense gave me," Richard said.
Guard Will Richardhit four 3s, but also had this slam off a steal and run-out to end the first half. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Three times in the second half, the Gators surged ahead by 17, the last time at 66-49 when Richard tossed a lob pass that Samuel slammed with 7:17 remaining and Jans calling a timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Bulldogs went to full-court pressure and scored 10 straight points to make it a seven-point game. Richard's fourth 3 stopped the bleeding, but a dunk from standout power forward Tulo Smith III (10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 turnovers) and two free throws by Hubbard drew MSU to 69-63 with 3:15 to go.
Richard's 3, as it turned out, was the Gators' last field goal of the game, courtesy of that 1-for-9 finish over the final seven minutes.
Instead, they (gladly) settled for 10 of 11 from the line.
"All part of becoming a complete team," Golden said.
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