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It felt like deja vu.
Down by 26, the No. 3 Florida Gators men’s basketball team looked hopeless.
An almost identical scenario happened when the Gators allowed a 22-2 run against unranked Louisiana State Saturday. It looked like Florida was incapable offensively.
Trailing by 16 heading into the half, the No. 3 Florida Gators (22-4, 10-4) outscored Georgia 48-37 but lost 88-83 after a late, game-deciding three.
Inside the Gators’ Instant Analysis takes a quick look at how the game unfolded.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: Florida led 80-78 with just one minute to go. Alijah Martin missed a crucial free throw that would have put the Gators up three, which led to the eventual dagger from Georgia guard Blue Cain.
Cain nailed a three-point shot on the wing to put the Bulldogs up 81-80, and Georgia won the back-and-forth free throw battle in the final moments for the victory.
THEY STOLE THE SHOW: Florida senior guard Will Richard was the lone bright spot for the Gators’ offense during its most muddling moments.
Richard tallied 17 points in the first half on just nine shots and nailed two threes. He didn’t stop there, though.
The senior scored 13 more points in the second half and had arguably the best single-game performance among Florida players this season. The 30 points marked his career high.
THESE STATS DON’T LIE: Georgia freshman center Asa Newell is one of the most efficient freshman in the southeastern conference.
The center ranks No. 8 in eFG% in the SEC according to KenPom. For a freshman, those numbers are relatively unheard.
Newell didn’t lead Georgia scorers but scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Another defining factor to Florida’s loss was its miserable night at the charity stripe. The Gators missed 11 free throws on 29 attempts — good enough for a 62% clip.
THIS MATCHUP PROVED KEY: Georgia coach Mike White is known for blowing leads, coming up short when it matters most.
It’s one of the primary factors that defined his departure from Florida. It’s what Gator fans despised him for most.
Tuesday night, it looked like the same old White. Georgia led by 26 and Florida took its first lead with less than two minutes to go.
But after a three from Cain, Georgia retook the lead and capitalized off of missed shots from Florida, eventually winning the free throw battle.
WHAT A PLAY: Florida forward Thomas Haugh broke up court after a missed shot and received a perfect pass from Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr.
Haugh finger rolled the fast break layup and took Florida’s first lead of the game.
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