Live Blog: No. 3 Florida Gators beat No. 22 Mississippi State, 81-68

The odds were stacked against No. 3 Florida on Tuesday night in Starkville, Miss. With one starter (guard Alijah Martin) already out with an injury, the Gators lost another when center Alex Condon (leg) fell to the floor just 30 seconds into the game and never returned.

But Florida didn’t panic. Far from it.

After trailing by one at the half, the Gators put together a stellar — and stunning — 20 minutes that saw them build a 24-point lead before ultimately beating No. 22 Mississippi State 81-68 in another key road win. Florida now is 21-3 overall and 8-3 in the SEC. The Bulldogs are 17-7, 5-6.

Five Gators scored in double-figures, led by guard Denzel Aberdeen, who finished with 20 while starting in place of Martin. Guard Walter Clayton added 19 and forward Thomas Haugh had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

Make sure you follow our live blog of the game below to get all the latest updates. And, head over to SWAMP TALK to discus the game with Gator fans.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 76 MSU 62 (3:43)

Florida built a 24-point lead, but MSU has rallied with a 12-2 run over the past 2:24. Starting guard Josh Hubbard leads the Bulldogs with 19 points. Florida’s 14 made 3-pointers continue to be the difference. The Gators have a nice cushion because of it. Five Florida players are in double-figures, led by guard Denzel Aberdeen’s 18 points.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 65 MSU 46 (8:26)

The Gators are rolling and 13 made 3-pointers are a big reason why. MSU has only made four of them in 21 attempts. Meanwhile, Florida has committed just four turnovers to 14 for the Bulldogs. Guard Walter Clayton continues to pace the Gators. He has a game-high 17 points despite shooting only 6 of 16 from the field.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 59 MSU 43 (11:31)

While several Gators are contributing it’s worth noting that forward Thomas Haugh is closing in on a triple-double. He hit a 3-pointer a few minutes ago and now has 11 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Florida is 12 of 29 from 3-point range. MSU is plus-12 in rebounding, but it hasn’t mattered because the Gators are shooting so well from beyond the arc.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 50 MSU 34 (15:09)

Florida has opened the half on an amazing 17-0 run. The Gators now are 10 of 26 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, MSU has made only 2 of 17 baskets from deep. Guard Walter Clayton is pacing UF with 14 points. Forward Thomas Haugh is having another strong game — and has 8 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 42 MSU 34 (16:32)

The Gators have started the half on a 9-0 run that was capped by a 3-pointer from guard Will Richard on an assist from guard Walter Clayton. Clayton and guard Denzel Aberdeen lead Florida with 11 points each. MSU has a 30-17 rebounding edge, but the Gators have overcome that by hitting eight 3-pointers in 23 attempts.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 33 MSU 34 (HALF)

Florida made only 2 of its last 10 shots in the half, which allowed the Bulldogs to take a lead into the break. Guard Walter Clayton leads Florida with 11 points. With Florida center Alex Condon out the final 19:30, MSU has outrebounded the Gators 26-16 and that’s one of the big stories of the game.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 26, MSU 22 (3:44)

Both teams now are shooting under 40 percent from the field. But MSU is only 1 of its last 12 field goals. That has allowed Florida to cling to a slim lead. Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen made three of four foul shots since the last timeout and now has six points.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 23, MSU 22 (6:13)

Florida cooled off for a few minutes and MSU took the lead for the first time, but the Gators just went back on top on a 3-pointer from the wing by guard Denzel Aberdeen. That was his first bucket of the game. Guard Walter Clayton leads Florida with eight points. The Gators now are 9 of 20 from the field. MSU is only 9 of 23.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 17, MSU 15 (11:45)

With Florida starting center Alex Condon out, the Bulldogs are winning inside. They’ve out-rebounded the Gators 8-5 and have two easy put-backs on misses. Florida, though, is shooting well (7 of 13) and has maintained the lead throughout. Guard Walter Clayton and forward Thomas Haugh have five points each. Center Michael Nwoko leads MSU with five points.

SCORE UPDATE: FLORIDA 10, MSU 5 (15:53)

Despite losing Condon, the Gators are 4 of 7 from the field and playing lights out on the offensive end. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are only 2 of 5. Forward Thomas Haugh leads UF with five points. Florida already has made two 3-pointers.

UPDATE: (19:30)

Florida starting center Alex Condon was injured when he landed awkwardly while catching a pass on Florida’s first series. It appears to be a right foot/ankle injury. He has been taken to the locker room to be looked at.

How to watch Florida against Mississippi State

When: Tuesday, Feb. 11
Where: Humphrey Coliseum (10,575) | Starkville, Miss.
Time: 7 p.m. ET 
TV | Stream: ESPN 2 | ESPN app
On the call: Reporter: Alyssa Lang, Analyst: Dane Bradshaw

Betting lines for Gators vs. Bulldogs

Spread: Florida -2
Over/Under: 151.5 points
Moneyline: Florida -142, MSU +120

Florida-MSU injury report

Florida starting guard Alijah Martin is listed as out with a hip pointer. UF center Micah Handlogten out along with MSU guard Kanye Clary.

RELATED: Florida guard Alijah Martin ruled out for MSU game

Florida Gators projected starters

No.	Player	Position	Height/Weight	Class	Min.	Pts.	Rebs.	Misc.
1	Walter Clayton Jr.	Guard	6-2, 195 pounds	Sr.	31.8	17.5	3.5	4.0 ast
15	Denzel Aberdeen	Guard	6-5, 190 pounds	Jr.	20.3	7.5	2.0	1.7 ast
5	Will Richard	Guard	6-4, 206 pounds	Sr.	32.2	13.3	5.0	1.8 stl
21	Alex Condon	Forward	6-11, 230 pounds	So.	26.3	11.0	8.1	1.5 blk
9	Rueben Chinyelu	Center	6-10, 260 pounds	So.	19.0	5.1	6.6	1.0 blk

Mississippi State Bulldogs projected starters

No.	Player	Position	Height/Weight	Class	Min.	Pts.	Rebs.	Misc.
12	Josh Hubbard	Guard	5-11, 190 pounds	So.	32.1	17.5	2.1	3.2 3fg
0	Claudell Harris Jr.	Guard	6-4, 200 pounds	Sr.	24.4	10.2	3.1	2.1 3fg
22	RJ Melendez	Forward	6-7, 210 pounds	Sr.	21.5	8.5	4.1	1.1 stl
4	Cameron Matthews	Forward	6-7, 235 pounds	Gr.	28.3	7.4	6.7	2.6 stl
23	Michael Nwoko	Center	6-10, 245 pounds	So.	15.8	6.7	4.8	1.0 blk