Tyree Appleby’s late-game heroics saved the day once again, as the Florida point guard sunk a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to clinch a tight 66-65 comeback win against the Missouri Tigers on the road on Wednesday afternoon.
In a game that was originally slated for 9 p.m. EST but was moved up to 3 p.m. as a result of inclement weather in the Columbia area, the Gators (14-8, 4-5 SEC) jumped out to a hot start offensively and led by as much as eight in the first half. But Missouri (8-13, 2-6 SEC) cut that lead to two before the break and quickly took control in the second half, leading by nine with 8:04 to play.
The final few minutes of the game were back-and-forth, but Appleby’s free throws gave Florida just enough to avoid taking a disastrous Quadrant 3 loss in conference play and keep its postseason hopes alive. Here are the takeaways from hard-fought win.