How No. 5 Florida strengthened its resume with key road win
No. 5 Florida took advantage of a dominant rebounding game and a strong paint presence to take down No. 7 Alabama, 99-94, on Wednesday, and strengthen its case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The win gives Florida a pair of top-10 wins on the road, which is the most such wins in a single season in program history. The Gators previously knocked off No. 1 Auburn, 90-81, on Feb. 8.
This block from sophomore forward Alex Condon led to a fast break layup from senior guard Will Richard to tie the game at 31 with 4:24 left in the first half.
Those were two of Florida’s 52 points in the paint. A 50-35 edge on the boards was a driving force behind the Gators’ win as well. Coming into the night, Alabama averaged 43.69 rebounds per game, which was the most in Division I.
The Gators rank third on that list with 41.97 rebounds per game, so their ability to limit the Crimson Tide in that area should not be a huge surprise.
Florida held an 85-73 lead with under four minutes remaining until Alabama chipped away and made it interesting late.
Condon had a season-high 27 points (9-of-16 FG) to lead the team. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. had 22 points while sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu was a huge contributor to Florida’s rebounding advantage with a team-high 11 boards.
The loss to Florida is another setback for an Alabama team that has struggled to find consistency late in the season. The Crimson Tide (23-7, 12-5 SEC) have dropped four of their last six and allowed 90 or more points in three of the four losses. The poor rebounding against Florida is concerning, but an improved defensive effort going into a rivalry game with No. 1 Auburn on Saturday and beyond is key toward their success the rest of the season.
Florida (26-4, 13-4 SEC) has won eight of its last nine and looks primed for a deep run in March. With their eyes on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and currently in possession of the two seed in the SEC Tournament with one game to play, the Gators look like a team that is ready for March, especially if they build off their success on the glass from Wednesday.
