Back after missing two games due a bone bruise in his right knee, Casey Prather fueled Florida throughout its contest Saturday against Auburn.
But it was Scottie Wilbekin and Patric Young who helped UF ice the game in the final minutes.
Behind Prather’s 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and late heroics from their two seniors, the No. 7 Gators (15-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) pulled away from the Tigers late to win 68-61 on Saturday in Auburn Arena.
“We were really fortunate,” coach Billy Donovan said. “This game is a game that really could have gone either way.”
With 2:14 left in the game, Florida committed its second consecutive turnover when Kasey Hill lost his handle and was whistled for a backcourt violation. The Tigers scored on their next possession to cut their deficit to 62-61.
Then, Scottie Wilbekin came to the rescue, knocking down a fade-away jumper with 1:21 left in the game to give the Gators a three-point lead.
On Auburn’s next play, Tigers guard KT Harrell missed a wide-open three from the top of the key. The Tigers (8-7, 0-4 SEC) then fouled Wilbekin as he drove the ball down the court. Florida’s senior point guard then went 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.
But on the other end, Young made the biggest defensive play of the game. As Harrell drove down the lane, Young, stuffed his layup attempt and corralled the rebound, essentially sealing the win for Florida.
“He held his ground and did a really good job there,” Donovan said.
Florida led 27-14 against Auburn with 4:55 in the first half, but the Tigers responded with a 14-0 run over a span of 2:37 to trail only 33-32 at halftime.
Mental lapses and poor perimeter defense by the Gators kept the Tigers in the game until late. Florida struggled to contain Auburn from behind the arc, as it shot 7 of 13.
Although UF went only 3-of-9 shooting from three, it made 18 of its 30 shots from inside the arc.
“I wasn’t trying to rush or force anything,” said Prather, who returned from a knee injury he woke up with on Jan. 9. “I was trying to be aggressive in my time.”
Wilbekin scored 16 points but committed five turnovers in a team-high 37 minutes on the court, while Young recorded 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Prather added six rebounds, an assist and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
Michael Frazier II struggled after a career-best scoring performance of 21 points against Georgia on Tuesday. The sophomore guard went scoreless on 0-of-2 shooting and broke a streak of 16 games in which he made at least one three per contest.
Auburn guards Chris Denson and Harrell combined for 39 of their team’s 61 points.
“We didn’t defend them like we needed to,” Donovan said.
Florida now has four days off until traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Thursday to face Alabama (8-9, 2-2 SEC).
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
Follow Landon Watnick on Twitter @LandonWatnick.
Florida forward Casey Prather (24) drives past Auburn forward Alex Thompson during the No. 7 Gators' 68-61 win against the Tigers on Saturday in Auburn Arena.
