Texas A&M might have gotten the jump on the Florida Gators in the opening minutes of the SEC Tournament semifinals but the Gators weren’t ready to go down without a fight, clawing back from a massive first half deficit and controlling the second half to win 95-90. It was an epic show of resilience as the Gators had every opportunity to pack things up once they fell behind since they knew they already had a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but that didn’t happen. Instead, they composed themselves defensively, pushed the pace on offense, and surged back to not just take the lead but give themselves a cushion to withstand a final Texas A&M run and still win by multiple possessions. The Aggies are a team that are on the bubble right now with everything to play for and they also came in on a five-game winning streak, playing their best basketball of the season right now. It was a gutsy win for the Gators who now find themselves in a very winnable SEC Tournament championship game against Auburn, something that would have seemed completely improbable a month ago.
The Comeback
Early in the game Texas A&M was getting anything they wanted, jumping out to a 40-22 lead. Florida was scrambled on defense giving up straight line drive after straight line drive, and offensively they were getting baited into early, contested shots that were skating off the rim with no real chance at falling. Aggie guard Wade Taylor was completely dominant with 20 first half points and no signs of slowing down, and it looked like this was the time the Gators could give up, give their bench a bunch of minutes, and get ready to get home to Gainesville to watch the Selection Sunday show tomorrow night. However, that wasn’t the case. With leaders like Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel willing their teammates on, the Gators started to improve their defense effort and force tough shots that started missing. Offensively they started to get the ball into the paint which turned into layups and open threes, and quickly the Gators were back in the game. In the second half the Gators started to really heat up from deep and by the time they took the lead it seemed like they were never going to relent, which is exactly what happened. Florida’s resilience was on full display, and no matter what happens in the SEC Tournament championship game or the NCAA Tournament you can bet the Gators will never quit.
Legacy Game
When the Gators were down big they needed an offensive spark. Did it come from explosive guards Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton, two guys known for their ability to put up points in a hurry? Did it come from low post mismatch Tyrese Samuel? No. When it comes to winning games in March you often need an unexpected player to step up and in this case it was sophom*ore guard Denzel Aberdeen who finished with a team high and career high 20 points providing the scoring punch the Gators desperately needed. Aberdeen had been quietly putting together some nice performances recently but Saturday’s game was nothing quiet–he came into the game with confidence and started drilling three pointers and getting to the rim and he was the engine behind Florida’s comeback. Simply put–if Aberdeen doesn’t play the way he does, the Gators probably don’t win this game. It was also a nice response to the show of trust that the coaching staff had in him as Riley Kugel who is usually the first guard off the bench didn’t end up playing at all. Florida chose to call the number of Aberdeen who took the opportunity and ran with it, ultimately becoming the difference in this game. Not only did he have 20 points but he also contributed defensively with 4 steals that frustrated Texas A&M and completely disrupted their offensive flow. You can bet that Aberdeen will get another opportunity tomorrow to play important minutes.
Target Practice
Sometimes when you play in an unfamiliar gym like a neutral site at the SEC Tournament you can struggle to shoot. However, you wouldn’t know that with how the Gators were shooting Saturday as they went 14-26 (54%) from deep, and when the shots started falling it looked like the Gators were going through a light shootaround with how everything was going in. Texas A&M is a team that packs the paint and dares opponents to make shots and Florida was more than happy to oblige with Walter Clayton (5-10), Will Richard (4-9), and Denzel Aberdeen (4-5) all having huge nights from behind the arc. College basketball is all about playing your best in March and Florida’s shooters who have been streaky throughout the season are starting to heat up in a massive way. The Gators 14 made three-pointers was the most they have made in a game this season.
Final Thoughts
Florida is going to play for an SEC Tournament championship on Sunday. That was not a sentence you would have expected to say before the season, it wasn’t a sentence you would have expected to say mid-season, and to be quite honest, it probably wasn’t a sentence you thought you’d say a week ago. However, March is about surviving and advancing and the Gators got some breaks with teams they match up well with and they have taken full advantage which is all you can ask for. They’ll now get to take on an Auburn team who they previously blasted 81-65.
