Florida uses big second half vs. Texas A&M to reach SEC Tournament Championship

The Florida Gators have punched their ticket to the SEC Tournament Championship after taking down Texas A&M on Saturday in a semifinal matchup. The Gators used a big second half to mount a comeback on their way to a 95-90 victory.

Florida trailed the Aggies 50-42 entering halftime but would go on to outscore them 53-40 in the second half. Denzel Aberdeen led the Gators with 20 points off the bench in addition to four steals in the victory. He was one of five Florida players to finish in double figures as Will Richard was right behind him with 19.

A&M was able to make a late push down the stretch, cutting the lead to 92-88 with under 30 seconds remaining. The Aggies had a chance to make it a one possession game before Wade Taylor‘s 3-point attempt fell short as the 27-second mark. From there, A&M was forced to foul as Florida converted its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The SEC Tournament Championship appearance is the first for the Gators since 2014. Florida went on to win the title that season in a 61-60 victory against Kentucky and then advance to the Final Four. It will hope for similar results this season as it aims for its first conference crown in a decade.

The Aggies got off to a quick start and led by as many as 16 points in the first half. However, the Gators came storming back to cut the lead down to single digits by halftime.

Florida would continue to mount its comeback in the second half and took a 59-58 lead by the 13:59. From there, the Gators would continue to hold an advantage as things remained close down the stretch until the final buzzer.

Florida went on to increase its advantage to double digits by the 3:24 mark, but Texas A&M refused to go down without a fight. The Aggies fought back to make it a game to the finish as Taylor poured in 30 points, but ultimately fell just short.

Texas A&M finished the year 20-13, marking the third straight season it has reached the 20-win mark. The Aggies will now await their NCAA Tournament fate and are currently projected to be among the last four in according to On3 bracketologist James Fletcher III.

With the victory, Florida will face Auburn in the SEC Championship at 1 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.