With the season fading quickly, coach Billy Donovan may have seen his hopes of winning his 500th career game before the season finishes fade away as well.
A depleted Florida lineup battled with Missouri on Tuesday night before the Tigers used a late 25-7 run to pull away from the Gators and hand UF the 64-52 defeat in Columbia, Missouri.
Without leading scorers Michael Frazier II (ankle) and Dorian Finney-Smith (suspension), UF fell into an early 17-11 deficit against the Tigers — a team on a program-long 13-game losing streak heading into Tuesday’s game.
But the strong play of Devin Robinson, filling in admirably for the injured Frazier, kept finding ways to score against Missouri’s frontcourt.
The freshman forward displayed a variety of mid-range jumpers and low post moves, including a monstrous dunk with 2:28 remaining in the first half that swayed the momentum in Florida’s favor.
Robinson followed up his display of power with a three-pointer, and Florida took a 31-27 lead into the half with the Gators (13-15, 6-9 Southeastern Conference) poised to bring home the milestone for Donovan.
However, the Tigers (8-20, 2-13 SEC) weren’t going to just let Donovan become the youngest of 16 active coaches to win 500 games without a fight.
Missouri’s Namon Wright, who finished with a game-high 28 points despite averaging 5.4 points per game heading into the contest, scored the Tigers’ first 10 points of the half as Missouri took a 37-35 lead in the opening minutes of the second half.
What followed in the final 10 minutes of the game was a collapse of epic proportions that included missed free throws and uninspired defense by the Gators.
After a Jacob Kurtz free throw put Florida ahead 45-39, Missouri began to mount its comeback on the heels of Wright.
The Tigers took advantage of the Gators miscues and built a 50-47 lead with 6:08 remaining when Eli Carter stepped to the line to shoot free throws on a Keith Shamburger foul.
Carter missed both free throws. A chance to cut the lead to one quickly became a six-point deficit as Wright hit another three-pointer on the heels of a Robinson turnover.
Kasey Hill had a chance to keep cutting into the lead, but the 60 percent free throw shooter went just 1-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final minutes.
Missouri made sure to hit its free throws as the Tigers scored their final 11 points from the charity stripe, securing the double-digit upset win over Donovan’s Gators.
For a coach looking for his 500th win, Donovan may have to look ahead to next season.
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @Graham311
Freshman Devin Robinson drives into the paint during Florida's 75-50 win against Texas Southern on Friday in the O'Connell Center.
