Florida basketball defeats Florida State 78-76 at home: Highlights

Florida escapes with a gritty rivalry win in Gainesville, outlasting Florida State 78-76 in a wild finish. Fland’s clutch free throws in the final seconds sealed it, while Haugh powered the Gators with 20 points, 13 rebounds and several key defensive stops down the stretch.

Fland calmly knocked down two clutch free throws to stretch Florida’s lead to three with 10 seconds left. FSU called timeout to draw up a final play, but the Gators’ defense now stands one stop away from closing out a hard-fought rivalry win.

Urban Klavzar’s clutch three was big for the Gators, but FSU’s Robert McCray has kept things tense with a late surge at the line. Golden used his final timeout with 15 seconds left as the Gators look to survive a wild finish in Gainesville.

What once looked like a comfortable finish has suddenly turned tense. Golden called timeout to settle things down as his team looks to close out a game they’ve controlled through rebounding and paint dominance. With a one-point edge and 84 seconds left, the O’Dome’s energy has shifted from celebration to nervous anticipation.

Florida’s size and rebounding have completely taken over down the stretch. Haugh and Chinyelu are controlling the paint, combining for 30 points and 28 rebounds as the Gators push their lead to seven. Haugh’s activity has been constant while Chinyelu has been just about all over the court. Even with Florida’s lagging three-point shot, their frontcourt has imposed its will, giving Golden’s team a strong chance to close this one out at home.

The Gators have flipped the script in Gainesville with an electric 11-0 run, fueled by suffocating defense and transition offense. Lee’s fast-break layup off a Fland assist punctuated a stretch where Florida’s energy on both ends completely overwhelmed the Seminoles. It’s the kind of momentum that’s brought Gator Nation to its feet, and it’s clear the Gators have taken full command midway through the second half.

Boogie Fland and Haugh just ignited Florida’s best stretch of the night. The guard drilled a deep three off a slick feed from Haugh, capping an 11-2 Gators run that forced FSU to call timeout. It’s been a tone-shifting burst — one built on hustle, defense and confidence — and the O’Dome crowd is feeding off every second of it.

Haugh continues to be the engine driving Florida on both ends. The forward has been relentless, crashing the glass, finishing at the rim and creating plays when the Gators need a lift. His energy has been contagious, sparking key defensive rebounds and a Florida run. As the Gators head into the timeout, he’s been the steady force keeping them level against a scrappy Seminole squad.

Florida may be trailing, but the Gators continue to dictate the larger story of the game: commanding the glass and exploiting their size advantage. Haugh’s shooting has kept them within striking distance. But the issue? Every time Florida makes a play, FSU has a response. Gators look to regain the lead as the game starts to head into crunch time.

Florida heads into halftime down by three after another rough shooting stretch from three, hitting just 2-of-14 from deep despite owning the glass with a 28-15 rebounding edge. The Gators have stayed alive by attacking the basket, led by Haugh’s 11 points and Chinyelu’s nine rebounds, while Lee has added seven points and four assists.

Florida State, however, has found success from the perimeter, knocking down five threes — three from Chauncey Wiggins — to keep control through much of the half.

Both teams are shooting 38% from the field, but the Gators’ inability to connect from outside has kept them from leading this one.

We’ve got a deadlock as both teams trade blows before the half. Florida’s offense has hit a wall from beyond the arc, going just 2-for-12 (17%) from three-point range. Despite generating open looks, the three-ball has been the achilles’ heel this season for Todd Golden’s squad. Florida has made up for it with effort inside, but the Seminoles have capitalized on the Gators’ perimeter woes by heating up from deep, hitting five of their 12 threes to stay even in what’s been a gritty, physical first half.

Florida State has ramped up its defensive intensity, switching between full-court press and a 3-2 zone to disrupt the Gators’ flow on offense. Florida has handled it, for the most part, pretty well thanks to smart ball movement. Thomas Haugh’s energy in transition has helped Florida maintain the lead despite the chaos.

It’s been an ugly, physical start in Gainesville, but Florida is holding on with a one-point edge. Both teams have struggled to find scoring on offense and Florida’s been without a field goal for nearly three minutes, while Florida State has capitalized on a few Gator turnovers to stay within striking distance.

The Gators are out in front despite a slow, grind-it-out opening stretch. Reuben Chinyelu threw down an alley-oop from Xaivian Lee to spark the home crowd, while Florida’s defense has kept Florida State from finding rhythm. Both teams are struggling to finish around the rim, with the Gators missing several second-chance looks inside before the first timeout.