The No. 5 Florida Gators trailed for 39 minutes and 55 seconds Wednesday night time and in some way prevailed with a 70-69 win over South Carolina. The Gators took their first lead with 4.8 seconds remaining after a go-ahead layup from Will Richard.
Unforced errors and dwell ball turnovers had been killer for South Carolina down the stretch. Florida collected 13 steals as a group, together with having three gamers with no less than three steals.
The Gamecocks had a lead of 13 with 8:49 remaining within the recreation and had all of the momentum after a monster dunk by Zachary Davis. Davis led South Carolina in scoring with 22 factors.
Florida then went on a 6-0 run in 26 seconds to chop the result in seven factors.
Florida would proceed to scratch and claw its manner again into the sport, finally tying it at 68 with 52 seconds remaining and in the end profitable the sport on Richard’s layup.
Richard was considered one of three Gators in double figures. Walter Clayton Jr. (16 factors) and Alijah Martin (14 factors) had been the opposite two. The three mixed for 52 of Florida’s 70 factors, an enormous recipe for fulfillment and benefit to have three gamers be capable to carry you to a victory.
South Carolina fell to 0-6 in SEC play with the loss and could have some critical soul-searching to do earlier than welcoming in No. 14 Mississippi State on Saturday.
The Gamecocks have now misplaced three video games in SEC play by 3 factors or much less, two of these being in opposition to High 5 groups. They don’t have a real nearer and somebody who can step up and put video games away.
Collin Murray-Boyles had 11 factors within the first half however completed with simply 13. South Carolina’s incapacity to get him the ball late in video games proved expensive but once more.
For Florida, discovering a method to win a convention highway recreation is all the time an enormous deal and may by no means be taken flippantly.
For South Carolina, an opportunity at back-to-back NCAA tournaments is fading away at a speedy tempo.
