What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore point guard
Boogie Fland and junior forward
Alex Condon each knocked down a pair of clutch free throws in the final 16 seconds, helping the 10th-ranked Florida Gators withstand a furious late push from Florida State to secure a 78-76 rivalry win Tuesday night at a sold-out Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.
Junior forward
Thomas Haugh delivered a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while junior center
Rueben Chinyelu matched the feat with 10 points and a career-best 16 boards. Fland scored all but four of his season-high 18 points in the second half, sparking UF’s rally from a five-point deficit to notch its fifth consecutive victory in the series. The Gators struggled again from long range, hitting just six of 31 attempts from beyond the arc—their third straight poor showing from deep—and committed 18 turnovers.
Trailing 40-35 with 15 minutes remaining, Florida responded with an 11-0 run fueled by a pair of baskets from Fland, while the Seminoles endured a 1-for-11 stretch. UF’s lead grew to nine with six minutes left, but sloppy play allowed Florida State to close the gap. Condon (11 points, 6 rebounds) committed three of his six turnovers during that span, and the Seminoles cut the margin to 71-70 with 1:24 to play.
Gators guard Urban Klavzar buried a 3-pointer to push the lead back to four, but FSU point guard Robert McCray V (29 points, 4 assists) answered with a basket and free throw to trim it to 74-73 after a UF miss. McCray then missed a game-tying free throw, and Fland secured the rebound before calmly sinking both shots with 15.8 seconds left. On the next possession, McCray misfired from deep, Condon was fouled, and he converted both free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining. McCray hit a 3 with one second left to bring the Seminoles within two, but that closed the scoring.
Thomas Haugh (10) with a first-half dunk Tuesday night. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Turning Point
The first pivotal moment came when UF, leading by nine with under seven minutes remaining, committed five turnovers in the span of five minutes. That lapse allowed Florida State to claw back into the contest and set up a tense finish for the home crowd. The second turning point arrived when Boogie Fland and Alex Condon calmly sank clutch free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win.
Staggering Statistic
Florida’s struggles from beyond the arc continued, as the Gators shot just 21.1% from 3-point range on the season. It marked their third straight poor performance from deep—a number that underscores the urgent need for improvement. Back to the gym.
Up Next
Florida (2-1) faces its third high-major opponent in four games—and second consecutive in-state rival—when the Gators meet Miami (3-0) Sunday night in Jacksonville. The ESPN-televised matchup pits UF against a Hurricanes squad that has rolled past Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman, and Stetson at home to start unbeaten under new head coach
Jai Lucas, himself a former (brief) UF point guard.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.
Find his story archives here.
