Graduate student forward Tyrese Samuel grabbed a loose ball with under two minutes left in the game.
The Florida student section urged him to shoot a desperation shot to avoid a turnover. Samuel did so, but missed.
However, junior guard Will Richard flew into the air to grab a timely rebound that forced the Bulldogs to foul.
Freshman forward Alex Condon calmly stepped to the line, knocking down a pair of free throws from the charity stripe to put the game out of reach for Florida’s opponent. The home crowd celebrated the team’s eighth win on its home court this season.
“This was a huge win for us and one that will travel for us," Head coach Todd Golden said. "They’re a very physical, very good team."
The Southeastern Conference standings featured four teams tied for eighth place heading into Wednesday’s matchup. Two of which were the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The Gators (13-6, 3-3 SEC) defeated Mississippi State (13-6, 2-4 SEC) 79-70 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Wednesday.
Bulldogs graduate student forward Tolu Smith III came into the contest averaging just under 20 points per game. He made his physical presence felt within the first two minutes of play by backing down Florida sophomore center Micah Handlogten in the paint for back-to-back buckets.
Mississippi State grabbed an early 4-3 lead as the Gators went scoreless for a 3:36 stretch heading into the first media timeout. Though, the Bulldogs struggled offensively to open the game shooting just 2-for-11 from the field.
Although the Bulldogs’ shots weren’t falling, they dominated the boards and out-rebounded the Gators 10-3 with 14 minutes left in the first half.
Florida’s defense locked down the perimeter to start the game as Mississippi State went 0-for-7 from the 3-point line and was unable to find a rhythm on offense.
“I think it’s just been a huge emphasis in practice,” Pullin said. “Limiting 3’s and getting out on close-outs is something we’re getting better at.”
Florida struggled to find production offensively, as well.
But Pullin boosted the offense with seven of the Gators' first eight points.
Mississippi State held a 15-10 lead at the 11:20 mark after freshman guard Josh Hubbard knocked down a free throw.
This was the largest lead the Bulldogs tallied in the first half thanks to Richard catching the hot hand.
He scored five unanswered points to tie the game at 15 apiece. The teams traded blows as sophomore center Micah Handlogten showed his physical abilities and snatched an offensive rebound with a go-ahead layup at the 8:36 mark.
UF earned its second-largest lead of the half at 39-31 after a corner-3 by junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. found the bottom of the net.
The Gators maintained the lead for the remainder of the first half capped off by a steal and transition dunk by Richard.
“I think he had his best game as a Gator,” Golden said. “He gave us a really, really great game tonight and he’s continuing to get more comfortable.”
The sharp-shooter finished the first half with a game-high 18 points while shooting 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
Samuel had a strong first half performance with eight points and three rebounds.
As the second half of play began, the Gators suffered a blow as Clayton Jr. exited the game with a trainer holding his left wrist.
Despite the team’s starting point guard suffering an injury, UF maintained a balanced offensive attack.
Four of the five starters for Florida head coach Todd Golden’s squad recorded points in the opening minutes of the second half en route to a 9-4 Florida run.
Shortly after, sophomore guard Riley Kugel came off of the bench and put the ball on the deck for a strong baseline drive. He took flight to flush home a dunk in front of the Florida bench to increase the Gators' lead to 54-40 with 14:29 left in the game.
Clayton Jr. re-entered the game and displayed his mental and physical toughness, banging home a 3-pointer with his left wrist covered in tape.
“He is an incredibly tough young man,” Golden said. “He’s kind of the heartbeat of our team from a competitive standpoint.”
As Florida’s lead grew to 15, Mississippi State switched to a 2-3 zone defense.
Richard was up for the task, sending his defender flying out of bounds with a shot fake before pulling up for a mid-range jumper to give his team a 17-point lead at the 8:51 mark.
But the Bulldogs refused to go away. A 12-2 run cut the UF lead to 66-59 with under five minutes to play.
“The game flow was kind of going their way,” Golden said. “They played with no fear of failure the final eight minutes of the game.”
Florida went cold from the field down the stretch shooting 1-for-8 from the floor as Mississippi State cranked up the pressure defensively.
With the Gators holding a two-possession lead with 1:32 left in the game, the Bulldogs had no choice but to foul and try to extend the game.
Florida was rock solid from the free throw line in the final minutes. The Gators shot 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to secure a 79-70 victory in the O’Dome.
“Our guards for most of the year they’ve been pretty good from the line,” Golden said. “It’s all a part of becoming a more complete team.”
Four starters finished with double-digit points, as Richard led the way with a season-high 23 points.
Florida will continue its home slate as they host Georgia on Saturday. Tip-off is at noon in the O’Dome and will be aired on ESPN2.
Contact Max at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @MaxTuckerUF25
Max Tucker is a junior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time. Max will be covering the Gators Golf teams this Fall for The Alligator.
