Florida Gators Squeeze Out 61-59 Win Over Mississippi State
After another close loss to Texas A&M on Wednesday, the Florida Gators (11-8, 4-3 SEC) responded with a 61-59 victory over Mississippi State (12-7, 1-6 SEC) on the road.
The Gators started the contest as fast as they have any game since entering SEC play. Despite falling down 3-0 to start, Florida rattled off three three-point field goals and a midrange two-point bucket in just under four minutes to post an 11-0 run.
Colin Castleton kicked off the scoring with a top-of-the-key triple. Will Richard, Alex Fudge and Kyle Lofton each contributed to the early surge by Florida.
They jumped out to an 11-3 lead over Mississippi State with 16:27 remaining.
That sparked the Gators to control most of the first half, excelling on the offensive end through consistent ball movement and adequate spacing to get teammates open looks. They shot 43.3% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc in the first half against the nation's No. 9 defense per Kenpom's adjusted defensive efficiency metrics.
Richard led the unit with nine points in the period, connecting on all three-point attempts he took, while Castleton (seven) and Fudge (seven) supplemented his hot start. Lofton and Myreon Jones served as prime facilitators in the backcourt to combine for eight first-half assists.
However, despite a double-digit lead with under three minutes remaining in the half, the Gators allowed a 7-0 run by the Bulldogs to cut the margin to nine heading into the locker room. Florida failed to score over the final 2:54 in the first half.
Florida led Mississippi State 33-24 at halftime despite holding a 16-point lead earlier in the half.
The Bulldogs fed off the late momentum it built to end the first half to close the gap further as the second period commenced. Playing behind guard Shakeel Moore, they saw an uptick in offensive production while returning to their elite defensive ways to limit Florida's prowess on the other end.
Knocking down back-to-back triples, their first and second makes from range on the game, MSST tied the game at 40. However, as they found a way to do throughout the night, the Gators answered as Kowacie Reeves Jr. hit a corner three off an offensive rebound to retake a 43-40 lead.
A 45-45 tie with 9:14 left was the final time Florida would not lead the game.
From there, the Gators started to rekindle the offensive rhythm that resulted in the early-game success. Jason Jitoboh — who played a majority of the second half due to an injury suffered by forward Fudge while simultaneously earning his fourth foul of the game — hit a hook shot in the paint with a defender draped on him to kickstart the Florida run.
Richard added his fourth three-point shot of the day from the corner to retake a five-point lead. Castleton extended it to seven with an elbow jumper on the ensuing possession.
That quick 7-0 run allowed the Gators to tighten their grip on the game, leaning into the defensive identity that's willed them to multiple wins in January.
A back-and-forth ensued as the Bulldogs climbed back in, but a last-second look inside by the Bulldogs failed to hit the bottom of the net.
Florida held on for a 61-59 victory in Starkville, Miss., giving Todd Golden and Co. their fourth win of SEC play in the 2022-23 season.
It’s the 1,500 victory in program history.
Castleton and Richard combined for 25 of the Gators' 61 points to provide catalysts for the team's success. In addition, Lofton and Jones totaled 11 assists to generate shot attempts throughout the night.
The difference in the contest proved to be UF's ability to shoot the long ball, connecting on 41.7% of attempts on the day compared to MSST's 33.3% from deep.
Florida heads home to Gainesville with an opportunity to earn a confidence-boosting over SEC bottom feeder South Carolina on Wednesday before enduring a gauntlet of the SEC's best and Kansas State in the coming weeks.
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