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Florida basketball: Gators stall in Fayetteville, fall to the Hogs

By Will Thomas

Feb 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Florida Gators guard Kyle Lofton (11) during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Florida Gators guard Kyle Lofton (11) during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Florida basketball knew that they would have to play a great game this afternoon in Fayetteville if they wanted a shot at knocking off the Razorbacks. They were going in undermanned and 9-point underdogs.

And for the first 20 minutes, the Gators held strong. They did a great job of getting to the free-throw line and were scoring the ball well.

Then the second half happened, and the rout ensued.

The Gators came out of the locker room flat and uninspired on the offensive end. Arkansas was the exact opposite, guns blazing and red hot.

To state the obvious, the Gators seriously felt the absence of Colin Castleton on the defensive end. They were outrebounded 25 to 40, and Arkansas got whatever they wanted in the paint.

Jalen Graham, Arky’s senior forward, had 26 points on 12/15 from the field. Those numbers just don’t happen with Castleton down in the paint.

Jason Jitoboh did not have near the impact that the Gators needed him to have this afternoon. He had four points and two rebounds and wasn’t very disruptive on the defensive end.

Offensively, the Gators were significantly worse than Arkansas shooting the ball, which has been a problem for the Gators all season. Florida shot just 36.8% from the field while Arkansas was up at 58.6%.

A bright spot for the Gators today was freshman Riley Kugel. He got close to his career high with 17 points and was the Gators’ leading scorer.

Will Richard was also in double figures with 10, and Aleks Szymczyk, who finally got in the rotation with Castleton out, put up eight points and six rebounds.

In the grand scheme of things, there aren’t a lot of positives to take away from a 19-point loss with your tournament hopes all but dead.

But the Gators still have something to play for, as they get a rematch with Kentucky on their home court next week and a revenge game in Nashville against Vanderbilt.

Let’s see if they can turn it around and end the season on a high note.

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