Three Takeaways from Gators' Narrow Win at Florida State

Thomas Haugh finished with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double as Florida downed Florida State, 81-72.

Thomas Haugh finished with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double as Florida downed Florida State, 81-72. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 1 Florida Gators avoided an upset in Tallahassee Tuesday night, beating in-state rival Florida State, 81-72. It marks the Gators' sixth straight win over the Seminoles and keeps them undefeated in this rivalry under head coach Todd Golden.

“First of all, I'm just really proud of my team. I thought we did a great job of being mentally and physically tough tonight,” Golden said. “But I thought our guys competed incredibly well, really stepped up in the second half, took advantage of our free throw opportunities.” 

Here are three things that stood out from the Gators' third win of the season.

Half-Court Issues Apparent

Florida is a better basketball team when they can push the tempo and get out in transition. The offense also flourishes when it produces second-chance opportunities. However, the Gators rarely found themselves in these situations against the Seminoles. Instead, Florida State installed a game plan that forced Florida to shoot more 3-pointers than they wanted.

Luckily for the Gators, they led as the clock neared zero. That led to 41 free-throw attempts for the visitors, resulting in 30 free points.

Urban Klavzar's ice-cold night from deep also played into the half-court offense struggles on Tuesday. He is arguably the team's best perimeter shooter, but made one of his seven 3-point attempts.

Defense Saves the Day

Florida's defense will carry the load most nights, as it did against Florida State. The Seminoles shot 44% overall on 62 total shots. They also only made four 3s, shooting 19% from deep. The Gators' defense limiting the opposing offense to these numbers always gives them a strong chance to win.

Several Gators made an impact on defense against the Seminoles' offense. Golden played an eight-man rotation on Tuesday. Seven of those players recorded either a block or a steal. In total, Florida's defense blocked three shots, stole the ball five times and forced 12 total turnovers.

The visitors also did a great job of keeping the Seminoles out of fast-break opportunities. The Seminoles scored just four fast-break points against the Gators despite being a team that loves to push the tempo.

Veterans Frontcourt Cap Off Fantastic Career in Rivalry

Unsurprisingly, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu finished their careers against Florida State just as they started it, with a win. Haugh and Condon moved to a perfect 4-0 against Florida State, while Chinyelu moved to 3-0.

Haugh led the way with a team-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, a block and a steal. He shot 4-for-8 from the field, 3-for-6 from three and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

“I love environments like this. I think playing away games are always the best. We all love it, and I love watching people walk out of the gym, too,” Haugh said on being perfect against Florida State. 

Condon and Chinyelu didn't have a similar offensive impact, but still affected the game in their own right. Chinyelu scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds. Condon, in his usual fashion, added nine points, 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Next Up

Florida’s next contest is on Friday at 7 p.m. against Merrimack, televised on SEC Network. Then,  they travel to Las Vegas to begin their Players Era tournament run against Notre Dame on Nov. 17. 

Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and X for the latest news!