Gators Early Second-Half Struggles Result in 84-65 Loss at Arkansas
Photo: Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall
Bubble popped.
After being pushed entirely off the bubble by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi on Saturday afternoon, the Gators dropped their final Quad I win opportunity on the road, likely cutting off the last lifeline that kept them in contention for an at-large bid into the field of 68.
Florida traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday to take on a sputtering Arkansas squad in what was a must-win for both teams.
The Gators, albeit motivated with an early surge that allowed them to hold the lead throughout much of the first half, proved to be shorthanded in their efforts against the Razorbacks. As a result, they dropped their seventh SEC game of the season, 84-65.
Florida shot 37.3% from the floor and was outscored by 13 in the second half.
The Gators came out inspired despite the absence of Colin Castleton, producing well on the offensive end once the lid came off the basket for both teams nearly five minutes in.
Switching up the offensive system to adhere to the guard-centric lineup that Florida courts — shifting away from the pick-and-roll scheme to get the big touches down low — a significant dose of dribble drive worked in the early going.
The unit found consistent lanes to the cup, presenting easy buckets to kickstart the offense.
Riley Kugel, Will Richard and Alex Fudge flashed off the bounce to give the Gators a five-point lead more than midway through the first half. It looked to be a sustainable formula for success even without its offensive star in the mix.
Until it wasn't.
As the game rolled on, Arkansas found a way to eliminate the presence on the inside, pushing the attack away from the bucket to force low-percentage mid-range and long-range shots. That halted UF's impressive efficiency.
They also started to exploit Florida's holes on the defensive end on the interior.
Forward Jalen Graham's 14 first-half points — breaking down the likes of Jason Jitoboh and Aleks Szymczyk — made that weakness evident.
Hogs head coach Eric Musselman recognized that and made the necessary halftime adjustments to intentionally attack the deep post in the second half.
Several Arkansas players followed Graham's lead from there.
The Razorbacks blew open the lead to start the second half, quickly extending the six-point lead at the break to 21 just six minutes in. Florida scored just two points in the span and went over four minutes without a score. It was a 17-2 Arkansas run.
The surge was the first time Castleton's absence was apparent for Florida.
The Hogs played into the team's identity as a heavy two-point field goal-shooting squad so far this season, connecting on 57.6% of shots from the field. Five UA players scored in double-digits, with Graham's 26 leading the attack.
Anthony Black, Makhi Mitchell, Nick Smith Jr. and Ricky Council IV complemented his production.
Freshman Riley Kugel led the Gators in scoring on the day with 17, proving to be the top offensive weapon for UF in the tweaked system.
However, his efforts weren't enough. Richard posted 10 points of his own to the 65-point total. Reserve center Szymczyk produced two late threes and layup to showcase his versatility as a big in the most minutes he’s received all year.
The Gators head back home to take on Kentucky with the opportunity to make the Wildcats' road to March a bit more difficult on Wednesday.
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