What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Senior guard Will Richard poured in 25 points, connected on six three-pointers, and added six rebounds to help third-ranked Florida secure an 89-70 win over No. 12 Texas A&M in Saturday night’s SEC matchup at Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center.
Richard, who had scored 30 in Tuesday’s loss at Georgia, delivered 17 points in the second half alone, including five threes. Two came right after halftime to extend the lead, and he added more clutch shots late after the Aggies trimmed a 17-point margin down to six with under 10 minutes to play.
Florida had five players in double figures. Sophomore forward Thomas Haugh scored 17, while fifth-year guard Alijah Martin added 14 with four threes. Sophomore forward Alex Condon, in just his second game back from an ankle injury, contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks, highlighted by two emphatic dunks in the closing minutes. Senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. chipped in 10 points.
Texas A&M opened strong, hitting six of its first 10 shots — including three from beyond the arc despite being the SEC’s lowest-ranked three-point shooting team — to take a 16-10 lead. Florida responded with a 12-3 run fueled by Martin and Haugh, who each knocked down two threes, giving the Gators their first lead at 21-19. They never trailed again and carried an 11-point advantage into halftime.
Richard’s back-to-back threes to start the second half pushed the lead to 17, but the Aggies fought back to within six before Richard answered again from deep. Florida closed the game with a nine-point run to seal its 21st double-digit victory of the season. Richard finished 9-for-13 overall and 6-for-9 from long range, while the team shot 48 percent and 42.4 percent from three (14-for-33).
The defeat marked Texas A&M’s fourth consecutive loss. Guard
Zhuric Phelps led the Aggies with 16 points and five rebounds, while leading scorer
Wade Taylor IV was limited to 11 points and just 1-for-7 from three. A&M shot 39 percent overall and managed only three assists.
Sophomore forward Thomas Haugh (10) banks in a lob in Saturday's first half.
Florida’s 89 points marked the second-highest total surrendered by Texas A&M this season, despite the Aggies entering the game ranked No. 7 nationally in defensive efficiency. The Gators also controlled the rebounding battle with a 42-37 edge and nearly matched A&M on the offensive glass, finishing just one board behind at 15-14 against the nation’s top offensive rebounding team.
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