Bold takeaway: Florida is dominating the second half and expanding its lead as they chase, and may soon seal, an outright SEC title. But here’s where it gets controversial... the officiating and a technical on coach Todd Golden sparked discussion and could color how fans view this matchup. And this is the part most people miss: the Gators’ depth and relentless pace are fueling a surge that has both players and analysts buzzing about their championship trajectory.
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Live updates: No. 5 Florida vs. Mississippi State, second half
Second half
- Florida launches on a 15-3 run to push the lead to 82-59 with 9:55 left. Xaivian Lee’s latest field goal brings him to 1,500 career points.
- After a hustle play, Handlogten feeds Klavzar in the corner for his first three of the night, putting the Gators ahead 75-56 at the under-12 media timeout.
- Freshman CJ Ingram drives and finishes, giving him eight points on 3-for-3 shooting as Florida leads 67-51 with the under-12 mark.
- Fland connects from three to stretch the UF advantage to 63-45 with 15:32 remaining in the second half.
- Jayden Epps opens scoring in the second half with a three, trimming the margin to nine, but Xaivian Lee finishes through traffic on the other end for Florida’s first bucket of the final 20 minutes.
First half
- At the break, Florida leads 47-35. The Gators flipped a 24-14 deficit into a double-digit lead late in the half, thanks to an 18-0 run in which seven UF players scored. Alex Condon paces all players with 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting. CJ Ingram hits two threes, and reserve Isaiah Brown adds seven points in the half.
- Isaiah Brown’s driving dunk gives Florida a 42-31 edge with under three minutes to go before halftime.
- UF’s 18-0 burst stands as their largest SEC scoring run this season (they had a 21-0 run vs. Merrimack in non-conference play). The Gators lead 39-13 at the final first-half media timeout.
- A 9-0 run late in the half trims a double-digit deficit to a one-possession game by the under-8 timeout.
- CJ Ingram checks in and hits back-to-back threes in a 35-second span.
- Urban Klavzar’s strong defense on Hubbard leads to a transition opportunity: Xaivian Lee feeds Isaiah Brown for an alley-oop layup to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-17.
- Josh Hubbard has eight points as Mississippi State holds a 22-14 lead ahead of the under-12 timeout.
- Todd Golden receives a technical foul from referee Pat Adams after disputing a non-call on a low-post finish by Alex Condon.
- The Bulldogs hit six consecutive field goals to open the game, moving in front 13-8 in the opening minutes.
- Alex Condon starts the scoring with a layup.
Pregame context
- Florida closes its home schedule with a shot at clinching the outright SEC title after sharing the championship on Saturday. Gator Nation provided another sellout, the sixth in a row and the 10th of the season, and it’s the 19th sellout in UF’s last 25 home games.
- The Gators arrive off a dominant 111-77 win at No. 20 Arkansas, a 34-point margin that secured a share of the SEC regular-season title. Thomas Haugh scored 22, and Rueben Chinyelu posted a double-double (12 points, 16 rebounds) as seven Gators scored in double figures.
- Florida leads the nation in rebounding margin (+14.3) and rebounds per game (45.4), ranks second in offensive rebound percentage (42.6%) and offensive boards (15.8 per game), and sits third in second-chance points (16.4 per game). They also rank sixth in two-point defense and seventh in defensive rebound percentage.
- During a nine-game winning streak, UF outshoots opponents (.524 my field goal percentage vs .377) and (.370 from three vs .293), generating a +22.0 scoring margin (91.6 vs 69.6). They also dish 19.1 assists per game vs 9.6 for opponents. Rueben Chinyelu averages 13.2 rebounds per game; Urban Klavzar is 25-for-49 from three (51.0%), Isaiah Brown is 7-for-14 (50.0%), and Xaivian Lee has 55 assists (6.1 apg).
- Boogie Fland has hit six three-pointers in his last three games, shooting 6-for-11 (.545) in that span.
- The Gators’ +16.6 scoring margin in SEC play ranks among the best in the century, behind only UF’s +17.6 margin in 2012-13 and Kentucky’s +16.7 in 2014-15.
- Todd Golden seeks his 100th win at Florida and would become the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins, eclipsing Billy Donovan’s 154 games. He would also join John Calipari and Tubby Smith as the only SEC coaches to reach 100 wins in four seasons.
If you’re enjoying these updates, what part of Florida’s approach do you think is most crucial for sustaining this run: their rebounding dominance, ball movement, or defensive pressure? Share your thoughts in the comments.
