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The Florida Gators (17-7) have been on a heater as of late, and their matchup against the LSU Tigers (12-12) looked like it would be another easy win for Florida.

However, despite a 14-point halftime lead and a lead reaching as much as 20, the Tigers stormed back, sending the game down to the wire.

But the Gators prevailed, shutting down LSU’s final possession and winning the bout 82-80, securing their fifth-straight home victory.

The Gators were again led by star junior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who added 21 points in another impressive performance.

The Gators also received strong play from senior forward Tyrese Samuel, who had 15 points and 7 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive.

Florida’s senior guard Zion Pullin also played a key role in the Gators win with 14 points.

In the game, Florida really impressed on the offensive boards, racking up 19 offensive rebounds to LSU’s 8.

Sophomore center Micah Handlogten added 5 of those offensive boards, while Samuel contributed with 4.

For LSU, both senior guard Jordan Wright and senior forward Will Baker had 16 points, respectively:

Now, the Gators, who are a projected No. 8 seed in March Madness by both ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and CBS’s Jerry Palm, will try to keep their momentum going as they will face the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens on Saturday.