After a rough run in the SEC, Georgia picked up its biggest win of the season on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs, after building up a massive lead in the first half, held on down the stretch to stun No. 3 Florida 88-83. That set off a huge celebration at Stegeman Coliseum. It marked Georgia’s first win over a top-3 opponent since 2004, and their third Quad 1 win of the season.
Georgia led nearly the entire way on Tuesday night, and opened the game on a massive 39-13 tear. That 26-point lead dwindled down slightly by halftime, though the Bulldogs still entered the locker room with a 16-point advantage.
Florida chipped away at that lead slowly in the second half, and then went on a 13-0 run of its own in the final minutes to finally take their first lead of the game off a layup from Tomas Haugh with just less than 90 seconds left. Georgia, however, quickly fended off that comeback, and retook the lead almost instantly after Blue Cain drilled a perfect 3-pointer from the wing to seal the five-point win.
Silas Demary led the Bulldogs with 21 points in the win. Asa Newell added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Cain finished with 12 points and six rebounds. His final 3-pointer was his only attempt from beyond the arc all night.
Will Richard led Florida with 30 points and five rebounds. Walter Clayton Jr. added 18 points, and was the only other player to hit double figures. The Gators shot just 18-of-29 from the free throw line.
The loss marked the first for Florida since it fell at then-No. 8 Tennessee earlier this month. The Gators now sit at 24-4 on the season. The loss moves them back to third in the conference standings, behind top-ranked Auburn and No. 6 Alabama.
While Florida isn’t out of it yet, the loss may put the SEC regular season title out of reach. The Gators will host No. 12 Texas A&M next on Saturday before closing the regular season with Alabama and Ole Miss next week.
Georgia, which entered the night at just 4-10 in conference play, now hold a 17-11 overall record. The win snapped a four-game losing skid, and undoubtedly kept the Bulldogs in contention to earn one of the final spots in the NCAA tournament. They were listed in the “Next Four Out” section of ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi’s mock bracket as of Tuesday morning.
It will take a strong finish, including a big victory or two at the SEC tournament in Nashville, to get them there, but the Bulldogs finally have their signature win. Their first NCAA tournament bid in a decade is now in sight.
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