Gators' Second-Half Surge Pushes Florida Past Georgia, 88-82

Florida uses a big second half to take down Georgia on the road, as the Gators have now won seven of their past eight games.

Photo: Guard Walter Clayton Jr. drives with the ball; Credit: Zach Goodall

Up by just three points with under one minute left in regulation, Florida guard Will Richard launched a three to put his team up two possessions. The three missed but forward Thomas Haugh crashed the boards and grabbed the ball as Georgia fouled him. 

He hit one free throw to put Florida up by four points and helped deliver the Gators a road win against the Georgia Bulldogs, 88-82, in Athens (Ga.). Haugh had his best game as a Gator finishing with 17 points (6-of-9 shooting) and seven rebounds. 

Guard Walter Clayton Jr. led the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting. 

The Georgia Bulldogs got off to a hot start shooting the ball. UGA guard Noah Thomasson started the contest 4-of-4 from the floor as the team made their first seven shots to go up 16-9 early. 

The Bulldogs started the game 9-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc as they led by as much as 11. 

Clayton and fellow guard Zyon Pullin found success at the basket as the guard pair helped chip away at the Bulldog's lead. A series of free throws and three-pointers helped the Gators cut the lead to just two midway through the first half.

Haugh continued to keep Florida in the game drilling open triples. He finished the first half with 12 points and was 3-of-3 from deep. 

Thomasson, who finished with a season-high 26 points, hit a turnaround jumper to give Georgia a 46-40 lead at halftime. UGA finished the first half shooting 60% from the field and 40% from three. UF shot 38.9% from the floor and 37.5% from deep. 

Richard drained a triple from the right wing to tie the game at 48 early in the second half. 

The Gators took their first lead of the game, 52-50, midway through the second half after forward Alex Condon worked down low for an open layup. UF's defense held Georgia to eight straight misses and a four-minute-long scoring drought as Florida went in front. 

Condon battled through contact again to convert a three-point play to put UF up by six. UGA hit a cold streak offensively and failed to record a field goal conversion for more than 10 minutes during the second half. 

Georgia guard Blue Cain ended UGA's offensive skid with a catch-and-shoot triple to make it a three-point game. 

The Gators stretched their lead to nine after Condon drained a three and Clayton drew a foul on the same possession. He converted a pair of free throws following the foul. Haugh hit a layup to give UF its biggest lead of the game, up 75-68, with 5:11 left in the contest. 

Florida finished the matchup shooting 43% from the field and 38% from three, while Georgia finished 50% overall and 32% from deep. 

The Gators staved off a late UGA comeback attempt to move to 18-7 (8-4 SEC). Florida will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide, which currently ranks No. 1 in the SEC. 

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