ATHENS, Ga. – For the first time in years, Georgia fans rushed the court after a win over Florida. Not only was it rare for the Bulldogs to defeat the Gators, but it had been decades since they toppled a team ranked in the nation’s top three.
That streak ended Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia built what looked like an untouchable lead, surrendered much of it, then delivered clutch plays late to secure an 88-83 upset of the No. 3 Gators — marking the program’s most significant victory in over 20 years.
Blue Cain drilled a decisive 3-pointer with 48 seconds remaining, and the Bulldogs held firm at the free-throw line to clinch the win. It was their first triumph over a top-three opponent since beating No. 3 Georgia Tech back in 2004, a result that could thrust the team back into NCAA Tournament discussions. Ironically, the game nearly became one of Georgia’s worst collapses — and simultaneously one of Florida’s greatest comebacks.
"We put ourselves in too big a hole and [that made] us have to play perfect down the stretch," UF coach Todd Golden said after the Gators’ six-game winning streak ended, damaging their pursuit of a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. "We almost did it, but fell a little short."
That “hole” was massive. Florida (24-4, 11-4) dropped its first game since Feb. 1 at Tennessee after Georgia (17-11, 5-10) opened by hitting 15 of its first 20 shots — a blistering 75 percent — to surge ahead 39-13 with under eight minutes left in the first half. Despite being one of the SEC’s weakest 3-point shooting teams, UGA connected on seven of nine from deep in the period. Sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr. led the charge with 14 of his 21 points before halftime, including three triples.
Florida, shooting just 36.4 percent in the opening half, tightened its defense enough to force 10 turnovers and trimmed the deficit to 51-35 at the break.
"It was our start. We started off too slow. They shot 68 percent in the first half. You can't let a team do that," said senior guard
Will Richard, a Fairburn, Ga., native who scored a career-high 30 points and went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc in his homecoming. "You can't afford to get down by 26 to any team in the country."
Senior guard Will Richard (5) scored a career-high 30 points, hitting five 3-pointers along the way.
Despite trailing by double digits, Florida clawed back with 45-percent shooting in the second half, knocking down six 3-pointers and capitalizing on turnovers. Georgia still held a 16-point cushion with 15 minutes left, but the Gators trimmed it to nine at the 11-minute mark and seven with just over six minutes remaining. A steal and fast-break layup from Tyrin Lawrence (14 points) pushed the Bulldogs ahead 78-67 with under five minutes to play.
Walter Clayton Jr. (18 points, 5 assists, 5 turnovers) answered with a driving layup at 3:27. Soon after, sophomore forward Alex Condon (9 points, 3 rebounds in 21 minutes), returning from an ankle injury, sank two free throws. Clayton followed with a transition 3-pointer, and Condon forced a steal that led to another pair of free throws, cutting the margin to 78-77.
On Georgia’s next trip, Silas Demary Jr. missed from deep, and Florida raced the other way. Clayton fed Thomas Haugh for a layup that gave UF its first lead of the night at 1:20, capping a 12-0 surge in just over two minutes.
Out of a timeout, Florida forced another turnover, and Alijah Martin split a pair of free throws to make it 80-78 with 1:08 left. That miss proved costly. Blue Cain found space on the wing and buried a 3-pointer to swing momentum back to Georgia.
"We needed one more stop and couldn't get it," Golden said.
From there, Florida missed its final three shots, while Demary and freshman forward Asa Newell (15 points, 9 rebounds), a projected NBA lottery pick, combined to hit five of eight free throws in the last 35.9 seconds. The win ended Georgia’s 12-game losing streak in the series, which dated back to 2020.
Just last month, Florida had beaten Georgia by 30 in Gainesville.
"Big win, crazy game," UGA coach Mike said after earning his first victory in seven tries against the program he departed in 2022 to take over the Bulldogs. More importantly, it was a résumé-building triumph to pair with earlier wins over No. 10 St. John’s and No. 17 Kentucky. "Credit to Florida for an incredible comeback. They hit huge shots and took the lead, and our response was phenomenal. Florida's really, really good, but it was a big win for us."
Georgia finished 22-for-27 at the line (81.5 percent), while Florida went 18-for-29 (62.1 percent). Those missed opportunities proved decisive in a game where the Gators had to erase a massive deficit — and nearly did.
Walter Clayton Jr. (1) scored 15 of his 18 in the second half, when the Gators picked up the pressure and pace and rallied from 26 down to take a lead that lasted less than a minute.
"We were playing the last eight minutes with our hair on fire, taking a couple chances here and there," Golden said of the furious rally. "Georgia was trying to protect the lead. It's usually a reverse situation for us, where we're trying to get to the finish line."
As the final buzzer sounded, the scene shifted to a wave of red and black fans flooding the floor — the first time Florida had faced a court-storming opponent since Vanderbilt back in 2007. For the Gators, it was the sting of a comeback that nearly became legendary but ultimately fell short.
Now, the focus turns forward. Florida will regroup quickly with another test looming, beginning Saturday night against No. 12 Texas A&M as the calendar flips to March, the sport’s most intense month.
"We'll respond real good," Richard said. "It was a wake-up call. Won't happen again."
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
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