GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Riley Kugel threw down a pair of dunks in the last fifty percent-minute to set an exclamation position on Florida’s 82-75 get more than Georgia in a hard-fought Southeastern Conference struggle on Saturday afternoon.
The Gators’ seventh consecutive win in the series spoiled Bulldogs coach Mike White’s return to Gainesville. White put in the former 7 seasons at Florida ahead of leaving amid irritation on both of those sides.
“Different, special, glad it is driving me,” White reported. “Would have been happier, of course, if it was at the rear of me with a win. … It was excellent to see a ton of persons nowadays, a good deal of liked kinds.”
Kyle Lofton, a graduate transfer from St. Bonaventure, scored 18 details to direct the Gators’ offensive exertion and Colin Castleton blocked seven shots and grabbed eight rebounds to anchor Florida’s defensive exertion while placing up 12 details and building five assists.
Georgia created a 23-10 guide midway by means of the initial 50 percent just before Florida countered to take a 39-34 guide at intermission.
The Bulldogs took the direct briefly in the 2nd half right after Mardrez McBride drilled a 3 and Kario Oquendo scored at the basket for a 44-43 gain with 16:44 still left.
Soon after Myreon Jones place the Gators in front with a layup off a feed from Castleton, Terry Roberts scored at the basket for a 46-45 lead. But Florida responded with back-to-back again layups and Lofton turned in a heady 3-point perform on an in-bounds engage in beneath the Florida basket when he bounced the ball off a defender’s again, recovered it and laid it in drawing the foul.
Alex Fudge strike from deep to drive the Florida guide to 13 with 9:37 to play, but the Bulldogs battled back. Jabri Abdur-Rahim strike three 3s in the 2nd half and Ga designed 7 3s from deep in the fifty percent. Oquendo’s decreased Georgia’s deficit 78-75, but Lofton made two foul shots, then found Kugel for his next dunk with six seconds remaining to seal it.
Will Richard completed with 14 details and nine rebounds for Florida (8-7, 1-2) and reserves Jones and Reeves contributed 13 and 12 details respectively.
Roberts hit 4 of 8 from length and led Ga (11-4, 1-1) with 25 factors. Abdur-Rahim was 4 of 6 from length and added 12 points off the bench and Braelen Bridges had 10 details.
Florida travels to confront LSU Tuesday. Ga hosts Mississippi State.
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