What Happened
AUSTIN, Texas – Forward Alex Condon scored a game-high 23 points and the seventh-ranked Florida Gators pitched a fence around one of the nation’s best offenses in the second half Wednesday night on the way to an 84-71 defeat of Texas at Moody Center.
The win was UF’s eighth straight, including a seventh in a row on the road, and moved the Gators — with their two-game cushion atop the league standings with three to play — that much closer to their first SEC regular-season crown in 12 years.
Condon went 10-for-12 from the floor, had four of the team’s season-high 11 blocks and paced a UF offense that shot 59% for the game, including 65% in the second half. The Gators also went 8-for-18 from the 3-point line to amass a fourth game over the last five making at least 36% from deep. Point guard Boogie Fland had a season-high 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting, five rebounds and two steals, while guard Xaivian Lee had 12 points and six assists.
The Longhorns came into the game with the No. 6-rated offense in the nation, but were held to 43% shooting overall (and just two assists), including just 36% in the second half when the Gators outscored them 48-32. UF finished the game on a 23-7 over the final seven-plus minutes.
The Gators fell behind by eight barely nine minutes into the game, but chopped away to a short-lived one-point lead, 28-27, only toi trail 39-36 at halftime despite shooting 54% from the floor. That was because the Longhorns shot 50%, including four of eight from the 3-point line, even though they missed six of their last seven shots before the break.
Texas led by three, 64-61, when UF went on a run of nine straight points, with Condon scoring five of them, to surge in front 70-64. After center Matas Vokietaitis hit one of two free throws, Fland scored five straight points and, after two more UT free throws, Lee bombed a late-clock 3 to initiate another run of nine straight points to put it away.
UF guard Xaivian Lee (1) during Wednesday’s action against UT.
Turning Point
The start to the end-of-game blitz, when the Gators outscored the Longhorns 23-7.
Staggering Statistic
The Gators won their fourth straight road game by double digits despite leading scorer Thomas Haugh and leading rebounder Rueben Chinyelu combining for 10 points and four rebounds. Credit backup wing Isaiah Brown for coming off the bench for nine points and a career-high eight rebounds.
Up Next
Florida (22-6, 13-2) will host “ESPN College Game Day” Saturday morning and play No. 20-ranked Arkansas (20-7, 10-4) Saturday night in game that will have SEC title ramifications. Texas (17-11, 8-7) plays at rival Texas A&M.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at [email protected]. Check his story archives.
