Florida Gators Suffer Stunning Loss to Georgia Bulldogs in SEC Showdown

2025-03-03

The No. 3 Florida Gators suffered their worst loss of the season, falling 88-83 to the Georgia Bulldogs in a dramatic SEC matchup on Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. Despite a late comeback attempt, Florida could not overcome a 26-point first-half deficit, marking their first loss to former head coach Mike White since he took over at Georgia.

Georgia (16-11, 4-10 SEC) started strong, shooting 67.9% from the field in the first half and building a commanding lead behind standout performances from freshman Asa Newell and sophomore Blue Cain. Florida (24-4, 11-4 SEC) struggled early, trailing by 19 points just eight minutes into the game. Senior guard Will Richard led the Gators with a season-high 30 points, but his late-game misses proved costly. Sophomore guard Walter Clayton Jr. added 18 points but turned the ball over five times.

The Gators mounted a 13-0 run late in the second half to briefly take the lead, but Cain’s clutch three-pointer with under a minute remaining sealed the victory for Georgia. The Bulldogs snapped a 12-game losing streak to Florida and secured their biggest win in 21 years. Florida’s poor free-throw shooting (18-of-29) and inability to contain Georgia’s three-point shooting were key factors in the loss.

This defeat drops Florida to 5-4 in Quadrant 1 games, potentially impacting their NCAA Tournament seeding and SEC standings. The Gators will look to regroup as they prepare to host No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday. Meanwhile, Georgia’s NCAA Tournament hopes received a significant boost, though they must finish strong in their remaining games to secure a spot.

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