South Carolina Battles but Comes Up Short in 76-62 Loss to Florida on the Road

Gamecocks losing streak extends to seven games following the 76-62 loss at the hands of the Gators in Gainesville.

Feb 17, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward EJ Walker (6) shoots the ball over Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) and Florida Gators center Micah Handlogten (3) during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Despite a stronger showing in the second meeting of the season between South Carolina and Florida, the Gamecocks fall once again to the Gators 76-62 on the road in Gainesville.

The loss extends South Carolina's current losing streak to seven games. Florida forward Alex Condon was unstoppable last night. Condon put up 20 points and posted 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. His backcourt counterpart center Reuben Chinyelu picked up his 16th double-double on the year with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

The Gators, led by head coach Mike White, were the number one team in the country in rebound margin, out-rebounding teams by 14.6 boards per game. Last night they were able to win the rebounding battle 45-27 over the Gamecocks.

Meechie Johnson Jr. was the lone bright spot on the offensive side of the court for the Gamecocks on Tuesday night. Johnson Jr. had 22 points, three rebounds, and two assists against the Gators last night. He shot 6-16 (37.5 percent) from the floor and 1-3 from beyond the arc.

Forward Elijah Strong was the only other Gamecock in double digits in the game. He finished the night with 10 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of work.

What's Next for South Carolina?

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris directs guard Meechie Johnson (5) against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Gamecocks are back home in Colonial Life Arena on Saturday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. South Carolina has five games left in the regular season before the SEC Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday Mar 11.

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