WAS IT THE BIGGEST UPSET OF THE YEAR?!
The Florida Gators beat the No. 2 Auburn Tigers 63-62 on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville. Now, the Gators are 17-10 and are .500 in SEC conference play. Florida needed its playmakers to perform at a high level in this game, and that’s exactly what happened. While there are plenty of areas for the Gators to improve, they will definitely take this win before facing Arkansas on Tuesday. Here’s a quick recap of Florida’s big win over Auburn.
Florida’s Tough Defense
Auburn really showed why the Tigers are a top team in the country with their gritty aggression. While Auburn struggled to shoot the ball, the Tigers’ aggressive rebounding really kept them in this game. In fact, Jabari Smith’s and K.D. Johnson’s gritty efforts got them to the free-throw line, where they made 16 out of 17 attempts; that’s really what kept Auburn in this game.
Florida didn’t allow many easy shots on the inside, and Auburn’s guards struggled from behind the arch. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. collectively finished zero-for-eight from downtown. Smith’s shooting kept the Tigers in the mix, but the 17 turnovers would prove to be too much. The Gators played a great defensive game, and limiting the Tigers to 21 points in the first half is what really gave Florida confidence to win.
Gators’ Stars Came to Play
Tyree Appleby and Colin Castleton contributed 45 out of the Gators’ total 63 points; they each had 26 and 19 respectively. Appleby’s play seemed much similar to his down-the-court style in the Missouri game just two weeks back. Appleby also made five threes, which really spread the floor for Florida.
Phlandrous Fleming Jr. also showed up in this game, knocking down two threes paired with his five assists. Castleton really stuffed the stat sheet and did everything besides attempting a three-pointer, thankfully. Overall, this victory should give faith to the Gators that they can compete with anybody, regardless of the circumstances.
Concluding Thoughts
Regardless of this loss, Auburn is a great team and will make a good run in March. The SEC is a tough place to play in any sport, and the Gators proved just that on Saturday. Now, Florida must finish strong in its final four games before the Gators look ahead. That win was a great redemption for the team after the close loss to the Aggies on Tuesday. Now, the energy within the locker room is focused and ready to attack. Big-time performances will need to continue from Florida’s starters to gain momentum.
https://twitter.com/FLTeams/status/1495150175656026116?s=20&t=_WZsIoaopF90JcOkR51Mrw
For the first time in program history, the Florida Gators stormed the court after their upset win against No. 2 Auburn. pic.twitter.com/HElalUNRd4
— FL Teams (@FLTeams) February 19, 2022