Florida Tripped Up by Texas A&M in College Station, 67-66

The Gators failed to compile momentum with a second straight Quad I win on Saturday.

Following a monumental victory on Wednesday inside Rupp Arena over the Kentucky Wildcats, Florida suffered emotional whiplash with a one-point loss to the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday. 

The Gators were tripped up in College Station, 67-66. 

The first 20 minutes embodied college basketball's mantra, as it was a half of runs. 

Tyrese Radford commenced Texas A&M's early scoring output with back-to-back buckets on the first two possessions to catalyze a 15-8 start for the home side.

Florida answered with 11-2 and 13-0 runs of its own, outscoring the Aggies 29-12 over the ensuing 12 minutes to build a commanding 13-point lead with 1:27 remaining in the first half. Veteran guards Zyon Pullin and Riley Kugel combined for 22 of the team's 40 points in the period to spearhead the impressive offensive attack.

It put the Gators in a position to run away with the contest as time winded down in the first. 

However, just as Florida did to end the half in its impressive victory over No. 10 Kentucky on Wednesday, Texas A&M closed the double-digit margin with a quick five-point surge.

Radford continued his stellar first half by burying a triple from the top-of-the-key at the buzzer to pull the Aggies within six of the Gators at the break, 40-34. He finished with 

UF quickly rebuilt a 12-point lead when the action returned. Again, TAMU clawed back in. This time, it took the lead.

Radford and Wade Taylor IV came to life to enable the Aggies to reel off a 12-2 run over nearly five minutes, taking a four-point lead with 7:37 left. It came via a strong two-way effort in which they slowed the pace against a Gators unit ranking No. 23 in adjusted tempo in college basketball this season.

Alex Condon's stout defensive play re-opened the door for UF to climb back after its one-time 13-point lead dissipated. Getting a hand on back-to-back shot attempts by Henry Coleman III at the rim, Condon elicited buckets on the other end from fellow frontcourt member Tyrese Samuel.

The freshman center's rim protection led to UF regaining control of the contest with 5:31 remaining. His five blocks in his 28 minutes off the bench proved critical to the Gators' late-game comeback attempts.

But, Texas A&M remained on Florida's tail, aided by a 20-2 advantage in attempts from the charity stripe in the second half, to retake the lead on Radford's five-foot floater in the paint with under a minute remaining.

UF finished 44.6% from the floor with ten made threes on the afternoon, but a fresh Texas A&M squad fresh off its midweek bye reigned victorious behind Radford's 26 points and Taylor's 15 points, one assist and three steals.

Pullin led Florida with 18 points and eight assists on the day, while Kugel and Richard compiled a complementary 12 points each.

Todd Golden's group drops to 15-7 (5-4 SEC) on the year by way of the 67-66 defeat.

After observing a midweek bye, the Gators will return to action on Saturday, hosting the No. 16 Auburn Tigers in Gainesville.

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