What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The seventh-ranked Florida Gators gained the Southeastern Conference championship in resounding vogue (*77*) evening with a 111-77 bloodbath of No. 20 Arkansas, a lot to the delight of the rowdiest sellout crowd of the season that witnessed the house workforce clinching this system’s first league title in 12 years.
The workforce and followers basked in a post-game celebration, full with confetti and net-cutting, because the O’Dome celebrated the Gators’ eighth SEC crown, becoming a member of the championship groups of 1989, 2000, ’01, ’07, ’11, ’13 and ’14. Now Coach Todd Golden has extra {hardware} to go alongside the SEC match and NCAA championships the 2025 squad claimed final season.
Florida, winner of 9 straight and 14 of the earlier 15, can do no worse than share the title, however can seize it outright by profitable one of many two ultimate video games of the common season.
A season-high seven completely different UF gamers completed in double-figure scoring, led by ahead Thomas Haugh’s 22 factors. Center Rueben Chinyelu posted his league-best seventeenth double-double of the season with 12 factors and 16 rebounds. Reserve guards Urban Klavzar and (*7*) had been fabulous off the bench, pitching in 14 and 11 factors, respectfully, with Klavzar nailing 4 3-pointers. Point guard Boogie Fland scored all 14 of his factors within the second half, whereas ahead Alex Condon had 17 factors and guard Xaivian Lee 13 factors and 5 assists.
UF, which raced to a 24-point first-half lead, shot 56.5% for the sport, together with eight of 19 from the 3-point line, nevertheless it was what the Gators’ No. 4-rated protection did to the Razorbacks’ No. 4-rated offense and their electrical level guard, freshman Darius Acuff Jr., that stole the present.
Arkansas got here into the sport main the SEC in taking pictures proportion at 51.6 and taking pictures 35.2 from 3. Against the Gators, these numbers shrank to 40% and 31%, respectively, with Acuff, the league’s scoring chief at 22.2 factors per sport, ending with 17 factors on simply six of 19 from the ground, six assists and three turnovers.
The Razorbacks led by 5, 11-6, about six minutes in when UF took off on a run of 12 straight factors, together with a pair 3s by Klavzar, that put the Gators forward 23-16. About 10 minutes later got here one other run, this one 14-1, with eight straight factors from Brown, additionally with a pair 3s, as UF constructed a lead that blew as much as 24 factors earlier than heading to the locker room forward 53-34. The rout was on.
Turning Point
The runs of the primary half. After that, the sport was by no means shut. The most drama within the second half got here when Arkansas coach John Calipari, on the best way to equaling the worst lack of his profession, obtained right into a back-and-forth with Golden throughout a useless ball leading to double technical fouls on each.
Staggering Statistic
The win was the sixth straight towards an Associated Press ranked workforce when the Gators scored no less than 90 factors, giving them the second-longest such streak in school basketball historical past. The all-time longest is shared by 1989-90 UNLV and Loyola-Marymount at 9 straight. During the nine-game profitable streak, all in league play, the Gators’ common margin of victory has been 22.5 factors. Two of these wins got here by 47 and 34.
Up Next
Florida (23-6, 14-2) has its regular-season house finale Tuesday evening towards Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11), a sport that can double as “Senior Night” for Micah Handlogten and Lee (and perhaps the ultimate house appearances for a pair different standard gamers, however that is a dialog for later). The Bulldogs, who’re monitoring to overlook their first NCAA Tournament since 2022, obtained smashed by Missouri 88-64 at house (*77*) afternoon.
Email senior author Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
