Denzel Aberdeen led 5 scorers in double figures with a career-high 20 factors, lifting Florida basketball to a 95-90 win over Texas A&M within the SEC Event semifinal at Bridgestone Enviornment in Nashville.
The Florida Gators (24-10) are within the SEC Event championship sport for the primary time since 2014 and snapped a five-game dropping streak to the Aggies courting again to the 2019-20 season.
Six-seed Florida will face four-seed Auburn, which beat Mississippi State within the earlier semifinal, on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Will Richard added 19 factors for the Gators, with Walter Clayton Jr. scoring 16 factors and Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel scoring 15 factors apiece.
Wade Taylor Jr. led Texas A&M with 30 factors.
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Florida rallied again from down 18 factors within the first half, taking its first lead, 59-58, on a 3-pointer by Clayton with 13:51 left.
Texas A&M shot 50% from the sphere and 46.2% % (6-of-13) from 3-point vary, taking a 50-42 lead over Florida into halftime. The Gators trailed 40-22 within the first half after a Taylor 3-pointer however went on a 22-8 run late within the first half, reducing Texas A&M’s result in 48-42 on a runner within the lane by Zyon Pullin with 36 seconds left within the half. However Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki acquired a basket on a goaltending name with 6 seconds left within the half, placing the Aggies up 50-42 at halftime.
Listed here are three takeaways from the Florida win:
A shock contributor steps as much as raise Florida basketball win
Aberdeen entered the sport averaging 2.6 factors per sport, however scored 12 within the first half to assist hold the Gators within the sport. He maintained his offensive manufacturing into the second half, sinking a giant 3-pointer to place Florida up 80-72 with 5:49 left.
Aberdeen went 6-of-9 from the ground, 4-of-5 from 3-point vary and 4-of-4 from the foul line.
Florida basketball protection clamps down within the second half
After permitting Texas A&M to shoot 50% from the ground within the first half, Florida’s protection was extra stout within the second half, limiting the Aggies after intermission with harder protection.
UF basketball sizzles from the 3-point line
Florida made massive perimeter photographs all through the sport, going 14-of-26 from 3-point vary. Clayton went 5-of-10 from past the arc, whereas Richard went 4-for-9.