Key takeways from Florida’s loss to Missouri in SEC opener

Florida basketball fell to the Missouri Tigers, 76-74, on the road Saturday night in the SEC opener.

Everything went right for the Gators over the first 15 minutes of the game as UF built up a lead between five and seven points, but that’s where the luck stopped. Missouri went on a 10-4 run to close the half, tying things up with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Todd Golden argued that the Tigers committed the same moving screen called on Alex Condon earlier in the game, but it wasn’t a reviewable play.

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Golden’s complaints swayed the refs to pay more attention to Missouri’s off-ball play in the second half, but Florida dug a 10-point hole, missing the first six 3-pointers taken after the break. Xaivian Lee broke the streak there, but Florida only buried one more in the half, going 2-for-15 after halftime. That shot, made by Thomas Haugh, briefly gave the Gators the lead back, but the Tigers answered one of their own, albeit an errant bank shot that found its way to the net.

Florida played the foul game and got two big misses in the end, but not enough time remained for Boogie Fland to get down the court and bear the 3-point line. His 50-foot heave found the rim but did not go in.

Haugh finished with a game-high 24 points, and Condon had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Lee was the only other Gator in double figures with 11 points. Chinyelu finished the night with eight points and eight rebounds.

Florida hasn’t made as much progress as we thought

Head coach Todd Golden said that his team was ready for SEC play on Friday, but the Gators looked overwhelmed for much of the game. The entire starting frontcourt got into foul trouble, which has been a major point of focus all year, and poor shooting continues to be the bane of Florida’s existence.

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Boogie Fland went 2-for-10 from the field, including a 0-for-6 night from deep. Xaivan Lee made a few 3-pointers, but still seemed off when it counted most. Thomas Haugh was 2-for-9 before exploding in the second…

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Publish date : 2026-01-04 04:36:00

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