The 3rd Florida men’s basketball team dominated what felt like a must-see game against No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday’s O-Dome.
Florida (25-4, 12-4 seconds) has not lost back-to-back games throughout the season. The Gators didn’t turn one loss into two after Georgia coach Mike White got upset on Tuesday and got their first career victory over Florida. When Florida drops the game, they average 21 points in the next contest. There was no difference in the matchup on Saturday. I crushed No. 12 Aggies 89-70.
This is the Aggies’ fourth straight loss. A&M (20-9, 9-7) came out of the gate where it was fired, erasing the cold stripes. The Aggies quickly grabbed a 16-10 lead by hitting six of their first 10 shots. The Gators woke up and tried to control the rest of the game and avoid another game that had to climb out of the deficit.
Richard tracked a career-high 30-point performance against Georgia with a game-high 25 points against A&M. His scoring performance was efficient, 13-for-9 from the field and 9-for-6 from the 3-point range. He started the second half in a row in three seconds. When A&M cut the lead midway through the second half, Richard ended the possibility of a comeback with a dagger 3 from the corner.
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“I’m just trying to stay offensive,” Richard said. “I’m not only offensive, I’m not only opening it for myself, I’m also opening my teammates.”
Again, the Gators had five players scored in double digits. Alex Condon appeared to be far healthier than against Georgia after suffering an ankle injury to Mississippi on February 11th. He scored 11 points. Among them are two consecutive dunks with the Gator lead back 10 plus. Thomas Howe continued his SEC sixth Man of the Year campaign with 17 points. Alijah Martin hit four first half three seconds and finished with 14.
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The influence of Walt and Mika
Potential first-team national security guard Walter Clayton Jr. had only 10 points. He usually gives the Gators 17.1 points to the game. Despite the low number of offensive numbers, Clayton still made his presence feel defensive. When he drove to the rim, he drew a double team and set up Richard or Martin for a wide open three in the boundary line. Despite going 13-3 from the field, he still had the best plus/minus of the +20 players.
“As a head coach, when he’s on the floor, I feel much better than when he’s not,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “When he’s 13-on-3 from the field, being able to win at 19 says a lot about his teammates not only being able to step up, but also being able to influence the game in other ways.”
On the defensive side, Mika Handlogten gave her a top 20 minutes after returning to the Gators. He went straight and met the Aggie Guard who was about to end on him, and almost gave up the room when Aggie Biggs tried to post up. HandLogten was also dominated over the glass, both with four attacks and four defensive rebounds. He played like the most physical person on the court, with only two points in plus/minus.
“He’s a lot of luxury to come back. It just shows how much someone wins without scoring a lot,” Golden said. “Going five plus plus on the board against A&M is 25 plus 25 against a regular team. We have the ability to get the ball with offensive glasses, keep playing and create a second chance for us.
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Take on Taylor
Wade Taylor IV is the focus of A&M attacks, averaging 15.3 points per game. It took him 30 minutes to make his first field goal against the Gators. Denzel Aberdeen and Aliya Martin took the defense step by step with him, passing through the screen and robbing the driving car. Taylor finished with 0 points in the first half, shooting 7-for-7 from 3, earning an 11-point majority where the game is out of reach of the Aggies.
“Their ability to clash at the top of our defense, both Martin and Aberdeen, was a big part of our growth,” Golden said. “There was no way last year’s way.”
Zhuric Phelps led the way to A&M with 16 points, followed by Pharmel Payne at 14.
Impact on SEC Tournaments
With Gator’s victory and Missouri State (21-8, 10-6) defeated Vanderbilt 97-93 in an overtime thriller, the Gators will need to win another game in the final two to secure a top four seed in the SEC tournament. Four top seeds in the SEC get double goodbye. This extra game could prove to be a different maker as Florida lost his handlog ten to a broken leg after playing his fourth game in four days in the 2024 SEC tournament.
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The Gators are facing Tuscaloosa’s No. 6 Alabama (7pm Wednesday, SEC Network, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF). Crimson Tide (23-6, 12-4) was defeated by No. 5 Tennessee in a heartbreaking way after a Jahmai Mashack Buzzer-Beating 3.
Florida is tied with Alabama as second in the SEC rankings. Tennessee will play one game, Missouri will be two innings, and A&M will be playing two innings ahead.
The Gators’ victory on the road will struggle to put them in the second seed in the SEC tournament and not be one seeded in the NCAA Select Committee. They concluded the regular season with a 6pm game against All Miss on Saturday in the 6pm game.
