The #3 Florida Gators secured an impressive 89-70 victory over #12/11 Texas A&M on Saturday, showcasing their offensive firepower and defensive intensity in front of an energetic home crowd at the O’Connell Center.
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Led by senior guard Will Richard’s 25-point performance, the Gators pulled away late, outscoring the Aggies 24-11 over the final eight minutes of the game. Richard, who has been battling through a toe injury, matched his career high with six 3-pointers and continues his hot streak after scoring 30 points against Georgia earlier in the week.
“Just being aggressive,” Richard explained when asked about his recent scoring surge. “At Georgia, that 30 don’t mean nothing. We lost, so I’d rather have zero and win than 30 and lose. I’m just trying to win. My team’s doing a good job of finding me so I’m just taking advantage of that.”
The Gators showcased their balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures. Thomas Haugh contributed 17 points, Alijah Martin added 14, Walter Clayton Jr. had 10, and Alex Condon scored 11 while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.
Florida head coach Todd Golden praised his team’s resilience after a tough loss earlier in the week. “Great win for us, great bounce-back for us after a tough loss on Tuesday night. I think this game is a great example of just how difficult and competitive our league is,” Golden said. “Texas A&M, they are a very, very good team.”
The game remained competitive into the second half before Richard hit a crucial three-pointer that extended Florida’s lead to nine points, providing the breathing room needed to secure the victory. “Will hit a huge three to take it back to nine and give us a bit of breathing room and allowed us to keep a little bit of distance away from them in the second half,” Golden noted.
The win marked Florida’s fourth top-25 victory of the season, matching last season’s total and the most since the 2017-18 campaign when they secured six such victories.
Florida’s offensive efficiency was on full display as they dished out 21 assists and connected on 14 three-pointers. The team has now made 10+ threes in seven of their last eight games.
A key contributor to the victory was Micah Handlogten, who made a significant impact despite scoring just two points. “He’s been such a luxury to have back, and [it] just shows how much of a winning player someone can be without scoring a lot,” Golden said. “Only two points tonight, but he was plus-16 in 19 minutes.”
Sophomore Alex Condon praised Handlogten’s performance: “I thought it was very impressive. The last two games, he’s done a great job of just coming in and making plays for the other guys. He’s getting back to what he was last year, and he works really hard when he gets in there as well. I think he’s just going to get better and better.”
The victory improved Florida’s record to 25 regular season wins, just the third time in program history they’ve reached that mark.
Florida has now won seven of its last eight games and sits tied with Alabama for second place in the SEC. The two teams are set to face off on Wednesday in what could be a pivotal conference matchup.
For Richard, who recently passed Gator greats Joakim Noah and Al Horford on Florida’s all-time scoring list, the team’s ability to bounce back from losses has been crucial. “For us I think it’s just getting back to who we are, to being the most physical team, coming out with effort and energy from the start and just being ready to play,” he said. “We can’t have games where we go in four- [or] eight-minute slumps. We just can’t do that to get to where we want to be.”
The victory capped off a memorable day for the program, which began with ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting from campus. “Great day for our program today, with GameDay being here this morning and our guys getting to experience that,” Golden said. “Then to be able to kind of put the cherry on top of the day by getting a great win, against a great club at home, it gives us a chance to have a nice little Sunday off tomorrow.”
Next Up: Wednesday, March 5, 7 PM EST, at #6 Alabama, ESPN2
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