Gators survive scare in Nashville, 82-78

Vanderbilt was 30 seconds away from a win Tuesday night, but the Gators men’s basketball team clawed its way back into the game and stole it from the Commodores. 

The 82-78 victory marked Florida’s seventh comeback win of nine points or more this season.

“I thought Vanderbilt was terrific and really deserved to win the game. Fifteen threes, the way they executed, my goodness. The way they made us pay after defending for lengthy periods of time,” UF head coach Mike White said. “Vanderbilt is the most improved team in our league and this was a really good win for us.”

This game did not disappoint to begin the month of March. These two teams went pound for pound for 40 minutes, but Florida prevailed for its ninth straight win against Vandy.

Florida held a narrow lead for almost the entirety of the first half, but the Commodores continued to hang around. They took the lead with 12:32 to play in the second period and went on a 15-0 run to build a nine-point advantage. 

The Gators continued to fight and went on a 9-0 run in the final 31 seconds, led by Phlandrous Fleming Jr. He made a game-saving block and then hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining.

“We’re really, really resilient,” Fleming said. “We’ve battled through a lot of adversity this year. A lot of ups and downs, a lot of lefts and rights, injuries, everything you can name, man. But we all stayed together, that’s the key. We stayed together through it all, and I think that built us for these moments like this.”

The victory over Vanderbilt gives Florida a third quad one win, which will boost its resume as the NCAA Tournament approaches. UF now sits at 9-8 in SEC play with a 19-11 record on the season.

How Gators rallied to beat Vandy

Although the Gators finished 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from beyond the arc, they had no answer for Vanderbilt’s 3-point shooting. The Commodores hit 15-of-29 shots (51.7 percent) from downtown.

After a season-low 6 points in his first matchup vs. Florida, SEC leading scorer Scotty Pippen Jr. dropped 29 points with five assists and three blocks. Fellow guard Trey Thomas added 17 of his own points.

In the end, the four Gators in double figures outperformed Pippen and Thomas. Moreover, each UF player who stepped onto the floor Tuesday night made at least one basket.

“Guys continue to share the ball,” White said. “Our assist-turnover ratio continues to get better. Our shot selection continues to get better. We’re in a good offensive rhythm. Needed, obviously, every point because these guys are incredibly difficult to defend.”

Florida forward Colin Castleton finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, leading the team in both categories. His lone assist was on Fleming’s go-ahead 3-pointer.

“First off, Colin is incredibly tough,” White said. “You know, guys don’t bounce off him. He’s a little bit thinner than some of the guys he’s up against. Obviously, he’s more skilled than most. 

“He’s got a lot of game, but he is leaned on, banged up against, whatever you want to call it, every minute he’s on the floor against the best defensive league in the country. And people, for the most part, aren’t defending him with one guy, so he’s drawing a lot of attention.”

Fleming all over the court with 16 points while leading the team with six assists, three steals and two blocks. Myreon Jones scored 13 points while fellow guard Tyree Appleby added 12. 

The Gators now head back home for their biggest game of the season, hosting No. 7 Kentucky on Saturday to close out the regular season.