After a tough loss to the Oklahoma Sooners Dec. 20, 2022, Florida head coach Todd Golden and the Gators flew back to Gainesville to spend time with family for the holidays.
However, with the impending start to Southeastern Conference play in the schedule, Golden told the Gators to come back on Christmas night to prepare for the No. 20 Auburn Tigers Dec. 28, 2022.
“Are we going to come back and continue pouring in what we’ve been doing for the past month?” Golden said. ”That has kind of got us in this position of getting right at the cusp of being a really good team.”
Florida came into its SEC opener on the road against No. 20 Auburn with a 7-5 record. The game was a reunion for Golden, who worked under Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl as an assistant coach from 2014-2016.
The Gators have struggled early in games so far this season. The Tigers took advantage of the Gators’ troubles to take an early 7-0 lead to start.
However, UF’s defense kept the game within reach. It held Auburn to a 38.2% shooting performance from the floor and less than 22% from three.
Despite a stifling defensive performance against one of the best teams in the nation, UF found difficulty scoring and rebounding. Florida graduate student forward and season-leading scorer Colin Castleton scored only six points in the game.
Unable to overcome the 59-58 deficit, Florida turned the ball over on the last possession of the game. Auburn junior guard Wendell Green Jr. stole the ball and scored to give the Tigers a 61-58 victory.
The Gators weren’t going into panic mode following the loss, graduate student guard Myreon Jones said. However, he acknowledged the importance of playing well against conference opponents, he said.
“It’s important, especially these games coming up,” Jones said. “They’re must-win games for our resumé.”
UF traveled back to Gainesville to host the Texas A&M Aggies at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Wednesday, Jan. 4.
Florida started with a 1-0 lead before tip-off; the Aggies were issued an administrative technical foul because they forgot their jerseys at the hotel. Despite this, Florida’s offense appeared insufficient to start the game.
The Gators committed a season-high 20 turnovers that turned into 21 points. Texas A&M double-teamed Castleton in the low post and forced him to throw the ball away all night.
UF came back to tie the game late in the second half after a barrage of threes. The Aggies survived the run with a floater and a free throw in the final seconds. Texas A&M gave Florida its second SEC loss in as many games, 66-63.
Many Gators are in their first season in the SEC. Bonham, a transfer from the Virginia Military Institute, said opponents in the conference are entirely different from his prior matchups.
“Mainly athleticism, quickness, height, length of all the players,” Bonham said. “Gotta just fight through all of that.”
The Gators welcomed back former head coach Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday. A win would give Florida its first conference win.
Florida threw the first punch, something Golden emphasized to his team. UF led 8-4 and shot 50% from beyond the arc in the first three minutes.
UGA responded with 13 unanswered points, forcing the Gators to play catch-up.
However, UF completed a comeback behind a 15-2 scoring run in the final minutes of the first half. Florida protected its lead to secure an 82-75 victory for its first SEC win.
Five Gators scored in double-digits against Georgia. Graduate student guard Kyle Lofton led the team with 18 points and orchestrated the offense with three assists.
After starting conference play with back-to-back losses by three points each, the veteran guard said the win against the Bulldogs is a huge confidence boost moving forward.
“Just winning a game is tough,” Lofton said. “Hopefully, we carry this on and win the next couple.”
Florida’s next five games will be against SEC teams, starting with Louisiana State in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Contact Brandon Hernandez at bhernandez@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @BranH2001.
Brandon Hernandez is currently the enterprise sports writer and sports podcast host for The Independent Alligator. He likes long walks on the sidewalk and watching basketball tape in his off time. You can find most of his work @BranH2001 on X and on The Courtside Podcast on Spotify.
