No. 10 Gators achieved a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Florida State on Tuesday night, winning 78-76 at the O”Connell Center. The standout performance came from Florida”s Thomas Haugh and Boogie Fland, who played pivotal roles in the team”s success.
Haugh, instrumental during last season”s national championship run, finished the game with 20 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Meanwhile, Fland contributed 18 points, five rebounds, and four steals, including two key free throws with 15.8 seconds remaining that put the Gators ahead 76-73.
Florida State”s senior shooting guard Robert McCray V tried to respond after a late-game surge, scoring 15 points in the final 6:11 of the game. However, he was unable to convert a critical 3-pointer from the corner with just seven seconds left that could have tied the game.
In the final moments, a pair of free throws from Florida power forward Alex Condon sealed the victory for the Gators. McCray finished with a game-high 29 points, but it was not enough for the Seminoles, who entered the game as 17.5-point underdogs.
Florida”s win improved their home record to 31-2 since the beginning of the 2023-24 season and extended their winning streak at the O”Connell Center to nine games. The Gators, now 2-1 on the season, struggled to assert themselves early on until Haugh and Fland took control in the latter stages of the match.
Fland, who had struggled to find his shooting rhythm, hit his first three-pointer of the season on his ninth attempt, cutting the Seminoles” lead to just one point at 53-52. Following an FSU basket, Fland managed to grab his own rebound after missing a free throw, allowing Haugh to tie the game with a dunk, marking the game”s seventh tie.
With 9:38 left, Haugh”s driving layup gave the Gators their first lead since the first half, igniting a series of plays that included a fast break leading to a layup by Fland. After stopping an FSU offensive push, Haugh assisted Fland for a three-pointer, extending Florida”s lead to 64-59 and capping an 11-0 run.
Despite building a nine-point lead at 69-60, Florida”s late-game errors and McCray”s impressive performance kept the game close, resulting in one of the tightest contests in their series since Florida”s narrow loss in 2015. Edgar Thompson can be contacted at [email protected].
