Despite facing a Texas A&M team that entered Saturday’s game leading the Southeastern Conference in 3-point shooting percent (37.6%) and ranked second in scoring with 92 points per game, Florida’s defense rose to the occasion.
At the break, the Aggies were held to 17% shooting from the field as a result of a scoring drought that lasted 9:38, keeping a roaring and sold-out Reed Arena at tip-off quiet for much of the first half. Moreover, it took A&M 13 attempts to make a 3-pointer, which came from Ali Dibba with 6:53 before the half.
The Aggies finished the contest 31% from the field and 26% from beyond the arc.
As a result of this defensive effort, No. 17 Florida (17-6, 8-2 SEC) prevailed 86-67 over Texas A&M (17-6, 7-3 SEC), giving the Gators their first win in College Station, Texas, since 2020 and putting the defending champions atop the SEC standings.
Florida also struggled offensively in the first half.
At the half, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh combined for five points on 2-of-9 shooting. However, Chinyelu and Haugh turned things around in the second half.
Haugh recorded 21 points after the half, including a 3-pointer that capped off a 12-1 run for the Gators to start the second half, putting Florida up by 26. The junior forward finished with a team-high 22 points on 5-of-12 shooting, marking his ninth double-digit scoring effort in the last 10 games.
Chinyelu grabbed eight points in the second half. The reigning Naismith Player of the Week finished the game with 10 points and a team-high 15 rebounds to record his 14th double-double of the season. Defensively, he led the team with two blocks and played an important role in limiting Rashaun Agee to 8 points on 2-of-13 shooting, his lowest scoring effort in a full game this season since he logged 7 points against Oklahoma State on Nov. 9.
Condon was unable to follow Chinyelu and Haugh, finishing the contest with 4 points. His sole field goal came off a dunk just under two minutes into the game that put UF up six. Saturday was the Aussie’s second-lowest scoring effort of the season behind his 1-point performance against Auburn on Jan. 24.
Still, Condon reeled in seven rebounds, helping Florida to a plus-seven advantage on the glass.
Urban Klavžar was one of the few Gators to provide a spark on offense from the beginning of the game. The junior guard had a team-high nine points at the half on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. His last 3-pointers of the first half put the Gators up 11 with 1:03 left. He finished with 11 points, recording his eighth double-digit scoring effort in the last nine contests.
Xaivian Lee logged his first double-digit effort in five games with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. His and-one with 15:38 to go in the second half put the senior guard at ten points and gave the Gators a 23-point advantage. He logged five points at the break with his sole 3-pointers in the first half coming with 17:24 left, giving UF a 6-2 advantage.
For the second time this season, Isaiah Brown logged double-digit points with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. His dunk with 16:48 left in the second half gave the Gators their largest lead at the time of 42-23.
Next, Florida travels to Athens, Georgia, to take on the Bulldogs (17-6, 5-5 SEC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the spring 2026 men's basketball beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams
