Takeaways from Gators' Senior Night Demolishing of Mississippi State

There was plenty for the Florida Gators to celebrate during the finale home game of the regular season

The Gators secured the regular-season title | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The good times kept on rolling on Tuesday, as the No. 5 Florida Gators soared past the Mississippi State Bulldogs to secure the SEC regular-season title. A total team effort despite their star player, Thomas Haugh, being held back due to precautionary reasons. 

“Just a great last game here in the O’Dome, special year for us,” Gators head coach Todd Golden, who earned his 100th win on Tuesday, said. “They’ve got great size, they’re very well-coached, and for us to win by 34, I think this says a lot about how well our team is playing right now.”

Here are three takeaways from Florida's final home matchup for the 2025-26 season. 

Seniors Should Be Proud of This Home-Court Finale

While Xaivian Lee is a nightly starter, Golden surprised some by opting for Micah Handlogten to replace Haugh in the starting five on Tuesday. 

Lee posted 19 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals against the Bulldogs. His six assists mark the sixth consecutive game with six or more assists. He also reached a career milestone, eclipsing 1,500 career points. The senior has totaled 1,504 points across four years at Princeton and Florida. 

“X was phenomenal. I mean, he's been playing great, but 19, 6, 5, of course, four steals, only one turnover,” Golden said.

Handlogten ended his time in Exactech Arena by nearly posting a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He also added three assists and one block. 

“I thought his defense was good tonight, got 8 offensive rebounds. You know, just creating second-chance opportunities for us,” Golden said about Handlogten’s performance. 

Three-Point Offense Finding Consistency

Six players landed a three against Mississippi State, including both Lee and true freshman CJ Ingram, making two each. In total, the offense made eight. 

Nearing the 10-minute mark in the second half, the Gators were shooting 46.7 percent from deep on 15 attempts. That number dropped to 36.4 percent by the final whistle, but still a percentage the Gators' head coach was happy with.  

“We shot it well again tonight, you know, 8-for-22,” Golden said. 

Moreover, Golden jokingly vented to the media on Tuesday night, demanding that his team receive more credit from behind the arc than they have this season. 

“Great stat, after last game, through 15 league games, we were shooting a better percentage from 3 than our opponents were in league play,” Golden said. “So, tired of hearing all you guys talk about our 3-point shooting and ask about that. We're actually better than our opponents.”

Strong Team Effort Amid Haugh’s Absence

Golden mentioned after the win that Haugh’s absence was precautionary and that he expects Haugh to suit up against Kentucky on Saturday. Still, that left the Gators without their best player and top scorer in a game to secure the outright SEC regular-season title. 

It did not hurt the Gators too much, though, considering the offense produced 108 points while the defense limited Mississippi State to 74. 

Several Gators got in on the action, with six scoring in double figures and two others posting at least eight points. 

Alex Condon led the way with 26 points. Lee had 19, Rueben Chinyelu had 11 and Boogie Fland, Urban Klavzar and Handlogten each had 10. The others off the bench to make an impact on offense were Ingram and Isaiah Brown, who scored eight and nine points, respectively. 

Most notably, Florida’s head coach handed more minutes to Ingram in this game because Haugh missed the contest, which the true freshman took full advantage of. He made two triples and logged three assists, earning him a positive review from Golden. 

“I'm really proud of CJ Ingram, you know, a guy that hasn’t gotten a lot of time this year. We told him he had to be ready tonight, with Tommy not being able to play,” Golden said. “I think he was +21 in the 1st half or something like that, which was absolutely fantastic, and really proud of him getting ready the way he was.”