Florida basketball once again failed to close out a game in the final quarter of play on Saturday, this time at the South Carolina Gamecocks. While the Gators have escaped with a win in past games, they simply did not have enough to prevail against their Southeastern Conference foes.
Follow an action-packed weekend, USA TODAY Sports’ Eddie Timanus penned up his winners and losers column. In it, he included the Orange and Blue among the latter category.
“The Gators’ loss to South Carolina was by no means fatal, but it did damage their chances for a top-four spot and double bye in the SEC tournament,” Timanus begins. “It also raised questions about where their points might come from when facing defense-first teams, which they’re sure to encounter in the Big Dance.”
These are very fair points that also echo the concerns of the Gator Nation. Additionally, the loss represented yet another missed chance to take things to the next level. Unfortunately, much like the one-point road loss at the Texas A&M Aggies last month, Florida has struggled to close the door on its opponents.
The Gators return home for a rematch against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday, March 5, inside the O’Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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