The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Texas Basketball's Loss to Florida

The Texas Longhorns lost their second game in a row after a defensive collapse in the second half.

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller reacts to play against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of the game at Mizzou Arena. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

After a five-game winning streak, the Texas Longhorns looked like they were turning a corner on the season after their slow start to the 2025 season.

Now, though, the Longhorns have lost their second straight game. An 84-71 loss to the conference leading Florida Gators that puts a further emphasis on the Longhorns final week of the regular season to keep their spot in the NCAA Tournament.

So what was the good, bad, and the ugly from their second half collapse at home against the Gators?

The Good - First-Half Offense

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) recovers the ball during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Once again the Longhorns offense showed not only how good they are, but just how effecient they can be in the game as well. They shot 15 of 30 from the floor in the first half, and four of eight from beyond the three-point line, shooting 50 percent in both categories.

Longhorns guard Tramon Mark was electric in the first half, finishing with 13 points, which is the same number as his season average. He would enter halftime shooting five of seven from the floor and three of four from beyong the arc, accounting for 75 percent of the Longhorns' threes in the half.

The Bad - Second-Half Defense

Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) gestures after making a three point basket against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Gators were able to keep pace with the Longhorns in the first half, despite shooting 22.2 percent from the three-point line, entering halftime just two of nine from beyong the arc. They corrected that though, shooting 66.7 percent on threes after finishing 6-9 in the second half.

The Longhorns defense couldn't get a stop, shooting an effecient 17 of 26, and 65.4 percent from the floor. They finished with 48 points after halftime, finding an offensive rhythm that the Longhorns were unable to find a way to stop defensively, or keep up with offensively.

The Ugly - Longhorns Ability to Close Out

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) talks with a game official after being called for a foul against the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Neville Arena. | John Reed-Imagn Images

With 6:53 left in the game, the Longhorns found themselves tied with the Gators 64 to 64, with a chance to get a significant win to add to their resume. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, their last field goal in the game came with 7:27 in the game, but added seven free throws during the time.

The Longhorns would turn the ball over three times during that time period, including taking the ball out of their hands in two straight possessions to put the Gators up 82-67. Under-10 collapses have been a problem all season for the Longhorns, and it once again showed up for them in their second straight loss.