Florida Gators Fall in Defeat to Texas A&M in First SEC Home Game, 66-63
The Gators SEC home-opener ends in heartbreak as they drop their seventh game of the year to Texas A&M.
In a game characterized by sloppy offense and an abundance of foul calls, the Florida Gators' second-half comeback attempts on the Texas A&M Aggies proved to no avail for the second-straight contest in the series. As a result, UF dropped to .500 on the year by way of the 66-63 defeat.
The Gators came in looking to snap a two-game losing streak in an outing Todd Golden deemed crucial for the season's future.
Florida didn't present the intensity and energy that a pivotal game usually brings.
In fact, the unit started sluggishly against a Texas A&M squad that pulled no punches throughout. Florida shot just 37.5% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc in the first half.
Consequently, the Gators fell down by 11 heading into the halftime break.
Unable to find any offensive success due to a suffocating and relentless Texas A&M press variation, Florida donned just 23 points next to its logo 20 minutes into the contest. The primary catalyst for the scoring inefficiency rested within the Aggies' game plan to double-team Colin Castleton when he touched in the low post. Castleton struggled in that scenario as he was pestered with swiping hands from multiple angles.
However, his teammates' lack of rotation and off-ball movement resulted in errant passes and stagnant offense throughout the first period.
Castleton tallied four of the Gators' nine total first-half turnovers, as a result.
However, when the two squads returned from the locker room, the Gators compiled their biggest run of the contest, producing eight unanswered in a minute and a half to cut the one-time double-digit lead to three. Trey Bonham, Will Richard and Kyle Lofton contributed by knocking down shots from the field during that concerted surge.
After a brief back-and-forth that saw the Aggies maintain that small margin, Bonham knocked down his third shot from downtown of the contest to knot it up at 39.
Texas A&M was able to rebuild their lead back up to nine, but the Gators continued to storm back behind the shooting excellence of Bonham. His 21 points propelled the Gators throughout and kept them within striking distance in the end.
Florida cut the deficit yet again after being put in that nine-point hole to take the lead with 5:49 remaining after an old-fashioned three-point play by Castleton on the inside. Richard made that opportunity possible with corner three on the previous possession to make it a two-point game.
The big man played a supplementary role for UF as he posted 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and four blocks.
However, the duo combined for 13 turnovers (seven for Bonham, six for Castleton) on the day.
Free throws had a major impact for both teams down the stretch as they each entered double-bonus range with over six minutes remaining. They finished with 29 combined fouls in the second half.
Tyrese Radford's late-game appearance to the free throw line made it the three-point margin that would hold at the final buzzer.
The game came to a head in the final seconds as the Aggies took a two-point lead with 42 seconds remaining. With multiple opportunities to tie the game, the Gators failed to connect on the final basket attempts and fell at home to Buzz Williams' Texas A&M squad.
A charge call on Bonham sealed the deal for Florida with seven seconds remaining as Florida sent Radford to the line on the ensuing inbound to officially seal the deal.
The Gators will turn around to retake Billy Donovan Court on Saturday afternoon as they face off with former head coach Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs in the second leg of the two-game home stretch.
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