Recap: Florida basketball beats Missouri Tigers in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday
Florida never trailed in its SEC Tournament Quarterfinals win over Missouri. But that does not mean it was easy.
The Gators scored 10 straight points from the opening horn and used that early spark to power the team to a 95-81 win inside Bridgestone Arena on Friday night. Todd Golden has to be proud of his team's resilience, but they did miss some opportunities to break the game open.
The Orange and Blue got a boost before the game even began when it was announced that Mizzou's top scorer, forward Mark Mitchell, was benched due to concerns about his knee injury and the desire to rest him until the NCAA Tournament. His 14 points per game average would have been enough to tie the game according to the final score, but it was not to be.
While Florida did manage to score 50 points — while the Tigers scored just 37 — by the end of the first half, its efforts were marred by 10 turnovers, which was an issue that continued into the second half. That should not come as too big of a surprise against the conference's leader in steals per game.
Missouri came out of the locker room in the second half firmly resisting the Gators, but could not slow their opponent's push to a 14-point lead. Still, the Tigers would bend but never break, chipping the lead down to just four at the 13:30 mark. That was also when Walter Clayton was briefly sidelined with what appeared to be cramps as the Gator Nation held its collective breath.
Florida regained the two-digit lead four minutes later despite having five turnovers up to that point (while Missouri had zero). Things at this slowed down into a grind but Golden's gang got a gift when Josh Grey fouled out at 7:20, and by the 4:30 mark, Clayton had returned and the Gators grabbed the double-digit lead once again. There was no looking back from that point on.
Four Florida players finished with 15 or more points while the team as a whole shot 61.8% (34-of-55) from the field overall, 37.5% (9-of-24) from beyond the arc and 78.3% (18-of-23) from the free throw line. Despite some sloppy moments, it boded very well for this squad in its next games as well as at the Big Dance.
Key Players
Florida:
- Walter Clayton Jr. - 18 points (6-8 overall, 3-4 3pt), six assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block
- Will Richard - 17 points (6-13, 3-18), three rebounds, three assists and a steal
- Alijah Martin - 17 points (7-9, 2-4), three assists and two rebounds
Missouri:
- Tamar Bates - 16 points (7-18, 1-4), three rebounds and an assist
- Anthony Robinson II - 13 points (5-8, 0-1), three assists, two rebounds and two steals
- Tony Perkins - 13 points (5-8, 0-0), four rebounds and three assists
Florida's Key Stats:
- 28 bench points
- 48 points in the paint
- 16 points off turnovers
- 15 second-chance points
- 9 offensive rebounds
- 18 fast break points
Next up for Florida
The Gators will play the winner of the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats matchup following this game. That will be played on Saturday, March 15, 25 minutes after the No. 1 Auburn Tigers vs. No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers finish their face-off, which begins at 1 p.m. ET.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball, Missouri Tigers SEC Tournament Quarterfinals recap
Topics
-
Social media reactions to Florida's SEC Tournament Quarterfinals win over Missouri
The Gator Nation reacts after Florida basketball's 95-81 win over the Missouri Tigers in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday.Yahoo Sports - 7h -
Injury Report: Florida basketball F Sam Alexis out vs Missouri Tigers in SEC Tournament
The Florida Gators will be missing forward Sam Alexis on Friday night against the Missouri Tigers in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.Yahoo Sports - 18h -
Missouri basketball vs Florida: Scouting report, score prediction for SEC Tournament game
Here is what you need to know about Florida before Missouri basketball faces the Gators in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Can Florida loss be Missouri basketball’s last lesson? Where MU stands after SEC Tournament
Missouri basketball's loss to Florida ended its SEC Tournament bid. Now, with the NCAA Tournament up next, have the Tigers learned the necessary lessons?Yahoo Sports - 2h -
What channel is Florida basketball vs Missouri in SEC Tournament on today? Time, TV odds for game
It's Florida basketball vs Missouri in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Here's how to watch, including time, channel, TV schedule and streaming infoYahoo Sports - 23h -
Initial thoughts: Florida in SEC Tournament
Here's what was on my mind right as Florida ended Missouri's trip through the SEC Tournament with a 95-81 win.Yahoo Sports - 8h -
How Thomas Haugh sparked Florida basketball late in SEC Tournament win over Missouri
UF forward Thomas Haugh played with high energy and sank some big FTs down the stretch to help Florida basketball hold off a pesky Missouri team in the SEC TournamentYahoo Sports - 6h -
SEC Tournament - Missouri vs Florida Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats
Missouri Tigers vs. Florida Gators Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 16h -
Missouri basketball forward Mark Mitchell ruled out vs Florida with right knee injury
Missouri basketball forward and leading scorer Mark Mitchell will not play in the Tigers' game against Florida on Friday night due to an injury.Yahoo Sports - 11h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Commanders receive high marks through the first week of free agency
The Washington Commanders receive high marks through one week of free agency.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
Report: Arsenal & Chelsea face competition for £50m transfer
Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly set to face competition from Real Madrid for the potential transfer of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.The 19-year-old has impressed in the Premier League this ...Yahoo Sports - 17m -
Lando Norris takes pole but ‘learning curve’ continues for Lewis Hamilton in eighth
Lando Norris said he was “not getting ahead” of himself, despite making the perfect start to the new Formula One season in Melbourne. The McLaren driver topped all three qualifying sessions to grab ...Yahoo Sports - 19m -
Jonathan Kuminga drops 18 points in 20 minutes off bench in return vs. Kings
After missing 31 straight games due to an ankle injury, Jonathan Kuminga made his return to the court on Thursday against the Kings.Yahoo Sports - 21m -
Lisbie twins have defences seeing double at Braintree
Braintree Town's Kyrell and Kyreece Lisbie are inspiring young people with TikTok videos about the highs and lows of football life.Yahoo Sports - 24m
More in Sports
-
Commanders receive high marks through the first week of free agency
The Washington Commanders receive high marks through one week of free agency.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
Atleti's Gallagher: Focus now on beating Barça
Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher said the team has moved on from the painful UEFA Champions League exit against Real Madrid in a controversial penalty shootout on Wednesday.ESPN - 16m -
Estadio Azteca changes name ahead of 2026 WC
Mexico City's Estadio Azteca has changed its name to Estadio Banorte in order to help fund the final stages of remodeling for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.ESPN - 16m -
Guardiola laughs off Capello calling him 'arrogant'
Pep Guardiola has laughed off criticism from Fabio Capello after the former England manager accused the Manchester City boss of ruining Italian football.ESPN - 16m -
NWSL's BOS Nation to be renamed after backlash
Boston's 2026 NWSL franchise announced Friday that it will officially change its name following a highly-ridiculed launch last fall.ESPN - 16m