Fans are buzzing after wild ending to Florida-South Carolina game
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Fans and reporters are buzzing after Florida basketball avoided a massive upset on the road with a 70-69 win over South Carolina. The No. 5 Gators, who were heavily favored heading into Columbia, almost became the first team in the SEC to lose to the Gamecocks in a game that was trending in the wrong direction. Luckily, Florida took its first lead in the last minute, thanks to a layup from senior guard Will Richard with 4.8 seconds left.
Multiple outlets and reporters broke down the importance of this victory for the Gators.
Will Richard with the game-winning drive as Florida escapes Columbia with a 70-69 win at South Carolina.
The Gators came back from a 13-point deficit with 8:30 left.
Florida now 17-2 overall and 4-2 on SEC play.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 23, 2025
WILL RICHARD WINS IT FOR FLORIDA pic.twitter.com/L1tQlE3Viv
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 23, 2025
NO. 5 FLORIDA HOLDS ON
The Gators win against South Carolina in dramatic fashion pic.twitter.com/aeucxykUSO
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 23, 2025
Florida continues to remain strong against a daunting SEC schedule
A loss to the Gamecocks would have been difficult for the No. 5 team in the country. South Carolina is currently the No. 91 team in the NET rankings. Meaning that this defeat would have been the Gators’ worst by a lot. The defense sparked this comeback as Will Richard and company had 13 steals, including several over the last few minutes. Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin hit several huge threes down the stretch in a game where the two struggled with inefficiency.
One aspect that Florida will need to monitor going forward is its ability to get quality looks. The Gators are seventh in the SEC in assists per game at 15.4 and struggled tonight with just 13. While Clayton, Martin, and Richard are elite guards, none are true point guards. On several possessions, they have had to force contested three-point shots off the dribble because the Gators could not get a good look earlier in the shot clock.
Still, despite these issues, Florida basketball is showing resilience that recent teams in Gainesville haven’t. The Gators have significantly improved compared to last season, particularly on defense. In addition, this squad leads the nation in rebounding rate.
The combination of NBA-caliber talent, elite defense, All-SEC-caliber senior guards, and elite rebounding usually bodes well for a team in March. However, Florida still needs to continue to grow this season before it can definitely call itself a Final Four contender. Hopefully, a remaining strength of schedule that ranks 18th in the country will help prepare this program to return to the glory days of the Billy Donovan era.
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