Gators snap three-game skid against Mike White's Bulldogs

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with an 82-75 win over former coach Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Florida had five players finish in double figures to overcome a 25-point performance by Georgia’s Terry Roberts and four 3-pointers from Jabri Adbur-Rahim that kept it close.

The Gators built a 13-point lead in the second half as UGA went more than six minutes without a field goal, but the Bulldogs battled back to make it a one-possession game late.

After an alley-oop dunk from Kyle Lofton to Riley Kugel put UF up six with 30 seconds left, Georgia responded with a 3-pointer by Kario Oquendo to cut it to 78-75.

Lofton knocked down a pair of throws on the ensuing possession and then found Kugel again on a fast break for another slam to put the game away.

“Overall, just really proud of our guys,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “We have been asking a lot of them in terms of staying together and having the right mentality moving forward. Not allowing close losses to take us out of what we know equates to winning. They did a really good job today.”

Lofton led the Gatos with a season-high 18 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field. He also posted a team-best +12 plus-minus for the game.

“Just being the senior and older point guard out there, controlling the team, making sure we got good shots, that was definitely the key down the stretch,” Lofton said. “We emphasized getting stops on the defensive end and that’s really where it mattered at. We got the shots we wanted and they eventually started falling. We started putting pressure on them and the game opened up from there.”

Will Richard added 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting (2-for-4 from 3) and a team-leading nine rebounds, followed by a season-high 13 points from Myreon Jones and 12 points apiece from Kowacie Reeves and Colin Castleton, who had seven blocks.

Castleton has blocked at least four shots in three straight games, and it marked his fourth career game with at least seven blocks.

“I thought he did a really good job cleaning up the glass for us,” Golden said of Castleton, who grabbed eight rebounds. “Five more assists today. Seven blocks, was incredible protecting the rim. They were 16 for 48 from two, 33 percent. We have become a really good two-point percentage field goal defense and he is a big part of that.

“I am really happy for him because he has done everything he can from a leadership perspective. He practices hard every day. He is getting banged up, a bloody lip. He is bringing a great effort and I think it is really going to pay off for him down the stretch.”

Georgia (11-4) jumped out to a 13-point lead midway through the first half with a 19-2 run as the Gators opened the game shooting 3-for-17 from the floor (18 percent).

UF closed out the half with a 21-4 run — sparked by Castleton, Jones, Richard and Reeves — and pulled ahead with under two minutes, taking a 39-34 lead into the locker room.

Florida shot 55 percent in the second half and 4-for-10 from downtown to finish 49 percent overall for the game. After 20 turnovers in the loss to Texas A&M, UF committed nearly half that against the Bulldogs (11) and outscored them 42-26 in the paint.

“It was great, good to win a basketball game after we lost. We were able to correct some things that we didn’t do well last game, like turning the basketball over,” Castleton said. “He (Coach White) is our old coach, and I have nothing but respect for him and good luck to him.

“It was a battle, it was a dogfight for sure, like on the rebounds. It was back and forth. We were able to pull away a little late but they got a good squad, so credit to them. But we were able to put them away and do a couple extra things.”

The Gators improved to 3-1 all-time vs. former head coaches. Florida went 2-1 vs. Lon Kruger who, coincidentally, was on hand in Gainesville to be honored for his Nov. 2022 induction into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Gators (8-7, 1-2 SEC) are back on the road Tuesday against LSU at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.