When Florida basketball coach Todd Golden reviews the film of their loss to Georgia, he’ll likely pinpoint at least ten key moments where the Gators could have executed better. Whether it was defensive rotations to contest three-point shots, careless turnovers, or missed open looks, Florida had plenty of opportunities to complete the comeback against Georgia.
But sometimes, you don’t need to be a basketball savant to recognize what ultimately decided the game. Despite their comeback attempt, Florida’s inability to convert free throws proved to be their downfall in a 88-83 loss to Georgia.
Florida Basketball: Mike White Special
In our write-up on Tuesday morning, we noted that this matchup had all the makings of a trap game. Sure enough, Georgia capitalized on every trend we’ve seen in previous Florida losses, jumping out to a commanding early lead.
Georgia’s shooters came out looking like Steph Curry, while Florida’s looked like they hadn’t touched a basketball in weeks. The result? The Gators found themselves trailing by as many as 26 points in the first half.
However, in true Mike White fashion, the Bulldogs failed to land the knockout punch, allowing Florida to claw its way back. But as the Gators chipped away at the deficit, free throw shooting continued to stunt their progress.
Time and time again, Florida just couldn't hit their free throws as they shot just 18-of-29 (62%) on the night. Even after completing their comeback and briefly taking the lead, another missed free throw left the door open for Georgia to hit a go-ahead three-pointer.
While there were questionable calls and other unlucky breaks that didn’t go Florida’s way, the reality is simple: the Gators had every opportunity to win this game but squandered it at the free-throw line.
The loss likely eliminates Florida from contention for the regular-season SEC title, though they still hold onto a top-four seed and a double bye in the SEC Tournament.
The deeper narrative is what it will do to Florida's seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Some Bracketology experts were already trying to push Florida down to a two seed despite riding a six-game winning streak.
Florida will look to regroup as they host College GameDay on Saturday, with Texas A&M coming to town.