South Carolina's quest for their first SEC victory will have to wait at least another game, as the Gamecocks fell 88-67 to No. 3 Florida in Gainesville on Saturday night, extending their conference losing streak through another close first-half turned second-half disappointment.
The Gamecocks (10-15, 0-12 SEC) showed early promise, keeping pace with the highly-ranked Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) throughout a competitive first half. After falling behind 15-6 early, South Carolina mounted an impressive 17-3 run, highlighted by efficient shooting and a thunderous posterizing dunk from Collin Murray-Boyles that energized the visiting bench.
The first half featured seven lead changes and five ties and Jacobi Wright provided a steady offensive presence, connecting on 4-of-5 shots including several crucial mid-range jumpers. The Gamecocks even took their largest lead at 23-18 before heading into halftime down just 37-33.
However, Florida's offensive firepower emerged in full force after the break. The Gators opened the second half with a barrage of three-pointers, including key shots from Thomas Haugh and Denzel Aberdeen that quickly pushed the lead to double digits. Aberdeen, who finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, proved particularly devastating during Florida's pulling away.
The game's turning point came midway through the second half when Aberdeen knocked down consecutive three-pointers during a decisive stretch that expanded Florida's lead to 61-40. The Gators' hot shooting continued throughout the period as they shot a blistering 70.4% in the second half and finished the game 14-of-28 (50%) from three-point range.
Despite the final margin, South Carolina had a few bright spots. Wright led the Gamecocks with 13 points on efficient 6-of-9 shooting, while Murray-Boyles and Nick Pringle each added 12 points. Murray-Boyles showed his versatility by going 6-of-8 from the free throw line, though the team's overall shooting cooled significantly in the second half to 35.7%.
Florida's balanced attack proved too much to overcome. Beyond Aberdeen's 22 points, Haugh contributed 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep. The Gators dominated in transition, outscoring South Carolina 26-7 in fastbreak points and converting a remarkable 10-of-13 layups and all five of their dunk attempts.
The statistical disparity told the story of the game's second half, with Florida shooting 60.4% overall compared to South Carolina's 44%. The Gators also held significant advantages in assists (24-7) and points off turnovers (21-11), despite both teams committing similar numbers of miscues (13 for South Carolina, 11 for Florida).
This marks another frustrating chapter in South Carolina's conference campaign. The Gamecocks have a Tuesday road trip to LSU where they are still searching for that elusive first SEC victory, while Florida continues to strengthen their case as one of the nation's elite teams.
