The Florida Gators (11-5) desperately needed a win at the O’Dome Saturday evening in Gainesville, Florida. After a rough stretch of SEC play with losses against Kentucky and Ole Miss, Florida bounced back with a commanding win over another fellow SEC opponent, the Arkansas Razorbacks (9-7).
With a daunting 18-point loss to the Ole Miss Rebels under their belt, coach Todd Golden and the Gators headed into the game focused with one thought on their mind: a win.
In the opening minutes of the game, the Razorbacks led 7-5. Shortly after, the Gators took control with a quick 11-0 run. The 11-0 run swiftly turned into a 22-2 run as the Gators racked up a 19-point lead halfway through the first half.
The Razorbacks’ 2-3 zone defense curbed complete domination, but the transition defense provided little to no resistance to the Gators’ fast rushes up the court. As Arkansas coach Eric Musselman went to the reserves, the Razorbacks cut the lead down to nine. However, the Gators adjusted, and their physicality allotted a 13-point lead at halftime, 46-33.
Florida came out just as hot in the second half. Although three-point shooting was inconsistent at times, the Gators proved to thrive in the paint and easily pulled away for their first SEC win of the season. The Razorbacks couldn’t control the multiple threat shooters on Florida’s roster in scrambling situations and succumbed to a double-digit deficit for the entirety of the second half. In a needed-win situation, the Gators came out on top, 90-68.
Off the bench, guard Riley Kugel led the Gators with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Forward Alex Condon also came off the bench to put up nine rebounds.
Forward Tyreese Samuel recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, his seventh of the season.
In addition, three other Gators put up double-digit points, Zyon Pullin (15), Will Richard (13) and Walter Clayton Jr (11).
Next, the Gators will travel to Knoxville this Tuesday to take on No. 5 Tennessee with hopes of starting a win streak of their own. The game is at 7 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena.
ChompTalk.com 
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