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Player ratings for No. 6 Florida basketball’s comeback win at South Carolina
Florida basketball needed contributions up and down its roster to pull off a 70-69 comeback win at South Carolina on Wednesday.
The No. 6 Florida Gators (17-2, 4-2 SEC) trailed 36-29 at halftime and were down by as many as 14 points in the second half before coming back in the closing seconds to send the Gamecocks (10-9, 0-6 SEC) to their sixth straight loss.
Florida recorded a season-high 13 steals and scored 22 points off 15 South Carolina turnovers to pull off the comeback.
“Very proud of our guys, though, for staying the course,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden told reporters postgame. “Obviously, being down 14 with 12 minutes to go, it wasn’t looking great, but our guys were able to execute defensively and turn them over a little bit and then step up and hit some big shots. I thought Will Richard was fantastic tonight.”
Here’s how UF’s players graded out:
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Florida basketball starters
G Will Richard (9/10) ― The 6-foot-4 Richard, who entered the game averaging 9.8 points per game in SEC play, would up with 22 points on 9 of 14 shooting and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. He added four rebounds and three steals while logging 37 minutes to help fuel UF’s comeback. Richard not only hit UF’s game-winning shot with 5.8 seconds left to put the Gators up 70-69 but sank a big corner 3-pointer to cut South Carolina’s lead to 68-66 with 1:04 remaining.
G Alijah Marin (8/10) ― Like Richard, Martin made several key plays and key shots down the stretch, including an in-bounds steal that resulted in him driving to the basket, drawing a foul, and sinking two free throws to tie the score at 68 with 52 seconds left. Martin didn’t shoot the ball well (5-15 from the floor, 1-8 from 3-point range) but impacted the game in other ways with three steals, two assists and a blocked shot.
G Walter Clayton (7/10) ― It was an up-and-down game for Clayton, who struggled early with two turnovers in the first half before finishing with game with 16 points and 7 assists on 6 of 15 shooting from the floor and 2 of 5 shooting from 3-point range. He sank a 3-pointer in the second half to become the new UF record holder with 42 straight games with at least one 3-pointer. Clayton’s best assist came on a cross-court pass that led to an open Richard 3-pointer which cut UF’s lead to 68-66 with 1:06 left.
F Alex Condon (5/10) ― The 6-foot-11 Condon struggled guarding South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who went 6 for 9 from the field and finished with 14 points. It impacted Condon’s play on the offensive end of the floor as well as he finished with just five points on 2 of 8 shooting from the floor with three turnovers. Condon made up for it somewhat by grabbing a team-high seven rebounds, with five coming on the offensive boards. He also had three steals and two blocked shots.
C Rueben Chinyelu (4/10) ― It was a rough night for the 6-10, 260-pound Chinyelu, who couldn’t keep South Carolina from scoring 34 points in the paint. He finished with two points, six rebounds, and an assist in 17 minutes, as UF was minus-16 in Chinyelu’s 17 minutes on the floor.
Florida basketball bench
G Denzel Aberdeen (8/10) ― Aberdeen made a positive impact in his 15 minutes off the bench, finishing with 9 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 1 of 2 shooting from 3-point range. He was active on the defensive end with two steals and dished one assist to just one turnover. Florida was plus-2 in Aberdeen’s 15 minutes on the floor.
F Thomas Haugh (5/10) ― Haugh struggled finishing inside, going 1 of 5 from the floor for two points and missing both his free throw attempts. He was tough on the boards with six rebounds, including three offensive boards. Florida was plus-eight on Haugh’s 25 minutes on the floor.
F Sam Alexis (5/10) ― Alexis tried to help Florida limit South Carolina’s inside scoring in his brief seven-minute stint on the floor. He finished with one steal that led to a UF runout basket in the first half and went 0 for 1 from the floor. Florida was plus-5 in Alexis’s seven-minute stint.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
Player ratings for No. 6 Florida basketball’s comeback win at South Carolina
1. Tre Mann – 9/10: Mann led the Gators with 21 points, including some clutch baskets in the final minutes of the game to secure the win. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
2. Colin Castleton – 8/10: Castleton had a solid game, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He was a key presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.
3. Tyree Appleby – 7/10: Appleby provided a spark off the bench for Florida, scoring 11 points and dishing out 3 assists. He also played tough defense down the stretch.
4. Scottie Lewis – 6/10: Lewis had a quiet game offensively, scoring just 5 points. However, he made his presence felt on the defensive end with 3 steals and 2 blocks.
5. Noah Locke – 5/10: Locke struggled with his shot, finishing with just 4 points on 1-7 shooting from the field. However, he contributed on defense and grabbed 4 rebounds.
Overall, it was a team effort that led to the comeback win for Florida, with multiple players stepping up in key moments. The Gators will look to build on this victory as they continue their push towards the NCAA Tournament.
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