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Florida pulls away late for impressive SEC Tournament win over Mizzou
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Florida made its 2025 SEC Tournament debut on Friday in a quarterfinal matchup vs. Mizzou, and the Gators were ready to get things rolling!
The matchup in Nashville did not disappoint with Florida trying to pull away but Dennis Gates’s Mizzou team answered every time, up until the final minutes of the game. However, the Gators — a trendy pick for many to make a deep run in March Madness — delivered the dominant stretch needed to solidify a win and reach Saturday’s semifinals.
After the Tigers closed things to 79-72, Florida unleashed a 14-3 run over the next 3 and a half minutes to put the game out of reach. The biggest lead for the Gators was 18 points and came inside the final 2 minutes of the game before securing a 95-81 victory to move on.
Florida’s impressive balance continues to shine through with 20 assists on 34 made field goals vs. Mizzou. The Gators also showed that balance with 48 points in the paint and a 9-for-24 shooting performance from 3-point range.
Four different Gators scored at least 16 points in the win, including a team-high 18 points from Walter Clayton Jr. Thomas Haugh also added 16 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Tigers struggled mightily from 3-point range and finished just 4-for-16 (25%) from deep. Mizzou only registered 10 assists on 30 made buckets in the game.
With the win, Florida will face the winner of Alabama vs. Kentucky in Saturday’s semifinal action. Auburn and Tennessee will face off in the other semifinal.
Regardless of how the SEC Tournament plays out, Florida is surging in the latest Final Four odds produced by DraftKings. The Gators are tied with Houston for the 3rd-best odds to reach the national semifinals at +140, and fans can check out the Florida gambling apps to get into the action.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
