Florida Gators Knock Off No. 2 Auburn Tigers, 63-62

The Florida Gators earned a much-needed victory at home over the second-ranked Auburn Tigers, 63-62, to take a big step toward popping the metaphorical bubble they currently float on.

Tyree Appleby pieced together a Florida career-high 26 points on 7-for-15 from the field, serving as a catalyst for the Gators' sustained success on the day. Colin Castleton complemented the guard's efforts with 19 points and eight rebounds on Saturday.

The win marks the first-ever against a top-two team in school history and extends the Gators' win streak over the Tigers, who haven't won in Gainesville since 1996.

Playing against an Auburn squad that has earned their keep atop college basketball's rankings as a team that utilizes an up-tempo style to push opposing defenses back on their heels, the Gators found a way to stifle the high octane attack in the field half.

Winning via their half-court pressure, the Gators forced the Tigers into a plethora of uncharacteristic mistakes. Namely, Auburn found itself making errant passes, with multiple sailing over the head of the intended target into the backcourt and out of bounds.

Auburn, consequently, turned the ball over on 31% of their first-half possessions to keep the door open for a less talented Gators team to remain in the contest.

Florida controlled the contest from start to finish in the first half, leading for all 20 minutes. They entered the halftime break up on the No. 2 team in the country by one point, 22-21, despite shooting 25.9% from the floor.

The beginning of the second half looked eerily similar to their loss to Kentucky, where UF squandered the opportunity to keep a game close down the stretch with a scoring run to start the final 20 minutes of action.

This time, Auburn opened up the second half outscoring the Gators, 11-4.

A noticeable, but expected, struggle for the Gators was star Auburn forward and projected lottery draft pick, Jabari Smith. Standing at 6-foot-10, 220 pounds, Smith showcased his incredible length and the ability to knock down shots from any spot on the court with 28 points and seven rebounds on the day.

Rolling behind his knack for scoring, Auburn momentarily began to separate itself from Florida, showing the talent gap between the two teams.

However, unwilling to go away, the Gators surged themselves to pull back within striking distance. After a respectable first-half performance by Castelton inside, the Gators began to live and die from beyond the arc in the second half.

They combined to shoot 40% from deep, with Appleby's five triples leading the way.

Ultimately, Florida overcame the nine-point deficit created in the early second half, rallying to go up by eight with under three minutes remaining. Then, they rode that momentum to a victory that came down to a defensive stand as the clock expired.

Sitting on outside looking in at tournament contention, the Gators walked into this contest in must-win mode to push their way in.

They did just that with their comeback heroics in the second half, adding another quadrant one victory to their resume for the postseason in the process.

Despite the victory, Florida is in a position where it can drop just one more game to finish the regular season. To realize that goal, UF will have to defeat at least one more top 25. There are two remaining on the schedule.

Florida will face No. 23 Arkansas at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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