Gators fall to No. 12 Auburn in SEC Tournament final

NASHVILLE — The Florida Gators gave it a heck of a run but their bid to win the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2014 has come up short. Playing their fourth game in four days, Florida fell to No. 12 Auburn 86-67 Sunday at Bridgestone Arena.

The Gators, 24-11, now wait to see what their seed will be and who they will play in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Brackets will be released beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ET.

Guard Zyon Pullin led Florida against Auburn with 15 points.

Below is a recap of Sunday’s game.  

Second half updates

Third media timeout (4:18): The Gators look gassed, especially Zyon Pullin, and Auburn has its biggest lead of the game, 76-59. The Tigers are on an 8-2 run since Pearl took a timeout with 8:18 left, while UF has missed four straight shots — and one of its last seven — and hasn’t scored in 2:35.

Second media timeout (11:18): The Tigers have matched their biggest lead, 60-48, after hitting six of their last seven field goals. They responded to UF’s 14-4 run with a 10-0 run of their own and a pair of 3-pointers by Tre Donaldson. Denver Jones then hit two straight shots, including a 3.

First media timeout (15:48): The Gators came out of the locker room on fire, making five of their first six shots and going on a 14-4 run to cut the deficit to 45-44. Walter Clayton Jr. has knocked down back-to-back buckets — including UF’s first 3-pointer — to make it a one-possession game.

First half updates

Halftime (Auburn 38, Florida 30): The Tigers led for the entire first half and built a 12-point lead with 4:41 left. Florida cut the deficit to five with a 9-2 run but has failed to make a 3-pointer yet (0-6). The Gators are shooting 29% (9-32) so far, while Auburn has shot 39% (13-33).

Final media timeout (3:21): The Tigers have maintained their double-digit lead, 31-21, despite scoring no field goals in the last 3:27. That’s because Florida also hasn’t made any shots for 2:45 and has yet to hit a 3-pointer (0-for-6) after a season-high 14 in Saturday’s semifinal.

Third media timeout (6:49): Auburn’s lead has now swelled to double digits, 27-17. The Tigers have made four of their last five field goals and have shot 45%. Florida is 21% from the floor (4-19) and has yet to make a 3-pointer. The Gators also went 5:42 without a field goal.

Second media timeout (11:50): The Gators are down 14-8 and their shooting slump has continued so far. They haven’t scored since the 15:29 mark, have made just one of their last 10 field goals and are 2-15 from the floor (13 percent), including an 0-5 start from 3.

First media timeout (16:00): The Tigers have jumped out to a 9-4 lead. It’s been a slow start for Florida from the floor, opening the game 1-for-6. The Gators also lost starting center Micah Handlogten to a serious leg injury at the 17:39 mark. He had to be carted off the court.

The entire #Gators team comes to see Micah Handlogten as he’s carted off the court. pic.twitter.com/rBPKB1uNJ3

— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) March 17, 2024

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This is the second meeting of the year between Florida (24-10, 11-7 SEC) and Auburn (26-7, 13-5 SEC). The Gators defeated the Tigers in dominant fashion, 81-65.

Florida jumped out to a 13-2 start and led by double digits for the final 32 minutes of the game, leading by as many as 29. It marked UF’s second win over a top-15 team.

Now the teams meet again for a rematch in Nashville with a conference title on the line. Follow the link and live updates below for Gators Online’s coverage from Bridgestone Arena.

***FOLLOW GATORS ONLINE’S FLORIDA-AUBURN COVERAGE RIGHT HERE***

Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament

* All-Time Record: 49-52
* Championships: 4 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2014)
* Runner-Up: 6 (1934, 1989, 1994, 2004, 2011, 2013)
* Florida competes in the SEC Tournament championship game for the 11th time in program history and seeks its fifth SEC Tournament title.
* Florida has reached the SEC Tournament game by scoring 94.0 points per game through its first three wins, featuring five double-figure scorers in each contest. The Gators have shot .429 from 3-point range with 9.0 3-point fi eld goals per game and have averaged 27.0 points at the free throw line.
* Florida notched its first SEC Tournament win since 2021, advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2019 and now plays for the SEC Tournament championship for the first time since 2014.
* The Gators’ last trip to the final resulted in a 61-60 win vs. Kentucky that capped a perfect 18-0 SEC season with an SEC Tournament crown.
* Florida and Auburn have split the previous four SEC Tournament meetings, most recently an Auburn win in the 2019 semifinal.