Shorthanded Gators Go Toe-to-Toe With No. 13 Bears, Fall 95-91

The Gators took No. 13 Baylor to the wire without starting center Micah Handlogten but ultimately fell short of conquering the Bears.

Florida took the hardwood on Friday evening striving for a monumental victory over No. 13 Baylor to assert itself into national relevance.

However, operating a man down as starting center Micah Handlogten nursed the ankle injury he suffered in the first minute of Wednesday’s contest against Pitt, the Gators failed to pull off an upset of the Bears. 

Todd Golden’s squad’s valiant effort fizzled out in the closing minutes, allowing Baylor to escape with a four-point win, 95-91. 

Despite the loss, Florida succeeded in making its statement: It can compete with the best college basketball has to offer in 2023-24.

In opposing fashion to Pitt’s quick start against Florida on Wednesday, the Gators surged to take an early 7-0 lead over Baylor immediately after the opening tip-off.

It forced Bears head coach Scott Drew to burn an early timeout, aiming to regroup his squad before the contest got too far out of reach. 

His strategy proved fruitful as the unit answered quickly, kickstarting a mid-half run to take an 11-point lead with 4:58 remaining in the first. Stellar three-point shooting aided the unit in that effort.

Florida clawed back, though, showcasing its ability to overcome adversity once more en route to a 41-41 tie at the halftime break. The first 20 minutes embodied the mantra of college basketball being a game of runs.

Baylor once again pulled out in front to begin the second half, suggesting several times it was beginning to pull away.

However, UF was persistent against the national championship contending program until the final buzzer, refusing to allow the game to fully slip away. 

Florida was led by projected NBA Draft lottery selection guard Riley Kugel, who posted career highs in points and rebounds (25 and nine) to keep Florida within striking distance down to the wire.

Notably, a clutch step-back three with 0:12 remaining to cut the lead to five provided a glimmer of hope for the Gators to execute a late-game comeback attempt, but to no avail.

Kugel’s excellence was complemented by Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel’s strong outings.

The former accounted for 17 points and five assists while performing as an uber-productive floor general. Samuel, meanwhile, maintained his stout form against the Bears, following up his 20-point, 10-board night against Pitt with an 18-point, six-rebound and two-steal showing in the narrow loss to the 13th-ranked Bears.

Pullin and Samuel earned NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team honors for their work in the mini-tournament following the conclusion of the four-team event in Brooklyn, N.Y.

NIT Season Tip-Off All Tournament Team ⛓️

🔸 @Zyonpullin2
🔸 @Tyrese5G#GoGators pic.twitter.com/Z9rG4NIChF

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) November 25, 2023

Walter Clayton Jr. posted 11 of his own despite battling through an undisclosed illness to give Florida its fourth double-digit scorer, a mark the unit has reached in each game to begin the campaign.

Despite the quartet’s production, Baylor’s transfer guard RayJ Dennis made his presence felt on the scoring front in the second half — consistently attacking the paint with an assortment of floaters, layup finishes and a dagger midrange fadeaway with less than 1:30 remaining.

Accounting for 22 of his 24 total points on the evening in the second half, Dennis provided the spark needed for Baylor to pull away before keeping Florida at arm's length. He added eight assists — six of which came in the first half with several going to the likes of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jalen Bridges and Langston Love for attempts from three — to uplift the Bears to maintain their undefeated start to the 2023-24 campaign. 

As a whole, Baylor's efficiency in shooting the basketball from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. It finished 14 for 25 from three. 

Scott Drew's squad accordingly opened a multi-possession lead heading into the final stretch of the contest. It executed from the line in the final minute to take home the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship.

Moving forward, the Gators remain away from the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for game No. 7 of Florida's season on Wednesday as they head to Winston-Salem, N.C., to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

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