Florida reaches SEC final rallying from 18 down to beat Texas A&M 95-90
AP
Mar 16, 2024
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Denzel Aberdeen scored a career-high 20 points in helping Florida Gators rally from an 18-point deficit and beat Texas A&M Aggies 95-90 at the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
Florida coach Todd Golden called this a breakout game for Aberdeen.
“His teammates needed him the most, and he delivered for us,” Golden said. “And we don’t win this game without him, so great job Denzel.”
The sixth-seeded Gators (24-10) earned Florida’s first trip to the tournament finals since 2014. The Gators not only won the SEC, they reached the Final Four that year. They will play No. 12 Auburn, a 73-66 winner over Mississippi State, for the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth on Sunday.
Aberdeen led five Gators in double figures. Will Richard scored 19 followed by Walter Clayton, Jr., with 16. Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel had 15 apiece.
Richard praised how hard Aberdeen has worked, never complaining about anything.
“So I’m not surprised to see him come out here to do this,” Richard said. “We’re just proud of him. Everybody believed in him, and we know what he can do. I’m just proud to see that come to fruition.”
Texas A&M (20-14), the No. 7 seed, scored the first five points of the game and led 40-22 with 5:20 left in the half. Coach Buzz Williams said the Aggies were a bit out of sorts down the stretch as he worried about not having someone pick up a third foul.
“We’re disappointed with the result, but we also don’t want to miss the lessons that transpired this month, for sure,” Williams said of his Aggies losing for the first time in March.
Wade Taylor IV paced Texas A&M with a game-high 30 points. Sol Washington and Tyrece Radford each scored 18 and Manny Obaseki added 12.
Florida rallied in the final 3:17 to cut in the lead down late in the first half, but Manny Obaseki’s layup with 6 seconds left gave Texas A&M a 50-42 halftime lead.
The Gators opened the second half with five straight points to get within 54-52. Clayton hit a 3-pointer with 13:11 remaining for a 59-58 lead that was their first of the game. Texas A&M tied it up at 70 and again at 72. Florida went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for good.
BIG PICTURE
Texas A&M: In the regular season, Texas A&M edged Florida 67-66 as only the second team to hold the Gators under 70 points. This was the third straight trip to the semifinals for Texas A&M. Buzz Williams is the third coach to win 20 games in three straight seasons with the Aggies.
Florida: This was the first trip to the semifinals for Florida since 2019. Florida has won three games in the tournament with an opening 85-80 win over No. 11-seed Georgia and a 102-88 romp over No. 3 Alabama. The Gators sealed the win over A&M by going 7-of-8 at the free throw line in the final 94 seconds.
UP NEXT
Auburn lost at Florida 81-65 on Feb. 10.
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1st Half
TXAM
Aggies
50
FLA
Gators
42
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Manny Obaseki vs. Will Richard (Walter Clayton Jr. gains possession)
19:56
Walter Clayton Jr. misses three point jump shot
19:54
Manny Obaseki defensive rebound
19:48
+3
Wade Taylor IV makes three point jump shot
3-0
19:22
Walter Clayton Jr. misses three point jump shot
19:20
Will Richard offensive rebound
19:04
Zyon Pullin turnover (Tyrece Radford steals)
18:52
Micah Handlogten shooting foul
18:52
+1
Manny Obaseki makes regular free throw 1 of 2
4-0
18:52
+1
Manny Obaseki makes regular free throw 2 of 2
5-0
18:41
+3
Will Richard makes three point jump shot (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)
5-3
18:28
+2
Wade Taylor IV makes two point layup (Solomon Washington assists)
7-3
18:03
Will Richard misses two point jump shot
18:01
Solomon Washington defensive rebound
17:52
+3
Wade Taylor IV makes three point jump shot
10-3
17:42
Manny Obaseki personal foul
17:33
Andersson Garcia shooting foul
17:33
Micah Handlogten misses regular free throw 1 of 2
17:33
+1
Micah Handlogten makes regular free throw 2 of 2
10-4
17:15
Manny Obaseki misses two point jump shot
17:13
Tyrese Samuel defensive rebound
17:10
+3
Walter Clayton Jr. makes three point jump shot (Zyon Pullin assists)
10-7
16:56
Wade Taylor IV misses two point jump shot
16:54
Solomon Washington offensive rebound
16:50
Tyrese Samuel blocks Tyrece Radford's two point jump shot
16:48
Walter Clayton Jr. defensive rebound
16:40
Tyrese Samuel misses two point jump shot
16:38
Tyrece Radford defensive rebound
16:16
+2
Manny Obaseki makes two point jump shot
12-7
16:02
Tyrese Samuel misses two point jump shot
16:00
Andersson Garcia defensive rebound
15:55
Manny Obaseki misses three point jump shot
15:53
Solomon Washington offensive rebound
15:33
+3
Wade Taylor IV makes three point jump shot
15-7
15:12
+3
Walter Clayton Jr. makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Samuel assists)
15-10
14:51
Manny Obaseki misses two point layup
14:49
Micah Handlogten defensive rebound
14:44
Wade Taylor IV personal foul
14:44
TV timeout
14:25
Walter Clayton Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:23
Wade Taylor IV defensive rebound
14:03
+2
Wildens Leveque makes two point hook shot
17-10
13:34
+2
Alex Condon makes two point dunk (Thomas Haugh assists)
17-12
13:08
Wildens Leveque misses two point layup
13:06
Alex Condon defensive rebound
12:55
Jace Carter shooting foul
12:55
+1
Will Richard makes regular free throw 1 of 2
17-13
12:55
+1
Will Richard makes regular free throw 2 of 2
17-14
12:45
Wade Taylor IV turnover (Denzel Aberdeen steals)
12:41
Denzel Aberdeen misses two point jump shot
12:39
Jace Carter defensive rebound
12:32
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
12:30
Andersson Garcia offensive rebound
12:29
Will Richard personal foul
12:23
+3
Jace Carter makes three point jump shot (Wade Taylor IV assists)
20-14
12:13
Denzel Aberdeen misses three point jump shot
12:11
Solomon Washington defensive rebound
11:57
Hayden Hefner misses three point jump shot
11:56
Will Richard defensive rebound
11:56
Jace Carter personal foul
11:56
TV timeout
11:45
Andersson Garcia shooting foul
11:45
+1
Denzel Aberdeen makes regular free throw 1 of 2
20-15
11:45
+1
Denzel Aberdeen makes regular free throw 2 of 2
20-16
11:28
Hayden Hefner misses two point jump shot
11:27
Alex Condon defensive rebound
11:27
Hayden Hefner personal foul
11:27
Alex Condon misses regular free throw 1 of 1
11:27
Tyrece Radford defensive rebound
11:03
Thomas Haugh personal foul
11:00
Zyon Pullin shooting foul
11:00
+1
Tyrece Radford makes regular free throw 1 of 2
21-16
11:00
+1
Tyrece Radford makes regular free throw 2 of 2
22-16
10:37
Thomas Haugh turnover (Hayden Hefner steals)
10:27
Solomon Washington misses three point jump shot
10:27
Aggies offensive rebound
10:25
Tyrece Radford misses two point jump shot
10:23
Henry Coleman III offensive rebound
10:21
Micah Handlogten shooting foul
10:21
+1
Henry Coleman III makes regular free throw 1 of 2
23-16
10:21
+1
Henry Coleman III makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-16
10:10
Zyon Pullin misses two point jump shot
10:08
Hayden Hefner defensive rebound
9:59
+2
Manny Obaseki makes two point layup
26-16
9:35
Walter Clayton Jr. misses two point jump shot
9:34
Tyrese Samuel offensive rebound
9:34
Henry Coleman III personal foul
9:34
+1
Tyrese Samuel makes regular free throw 1 of 2
26-17
9:34
+1
Tyrese Samuel makes regular free throw 2 of 2
26-18
9:17
+3
Solomon Washington makes three point jump shot (Tyrece Radford assists)
29-18
8:59
+2
Tyrese Samuel makes two point layup
29-20
8:46
Micah Handlogten shooting foul
8:46
+1
Manny Obaseki makes regular free throw 1 of 2
30-20
8:46
+1
Manny Obaseki makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-20
8:37
Walter Clayton Jr. misses three point jump shot
8:35
Alex Condon offensive rebound
8:31
Alex Condon turnover (Henry Coleman III steals)
8:21
+2
Tyrece Radford makes two point layup
33-20
8:20
Gators 30 second timeout
8:10
Tyrece Radford personal foul
8:10
+1
Tyrese Samuel makes regular free throw 1 of 2
33-21
8:10
+1
Tyrese Samuel makes regular free throw 2 of 2
33-22
7:42
Manny Obaseki misses three point jump shot
7:40
Tyrese Samuel defensive rebound
7:21
Tyrese Samuel turnover
7:03
TV timeout
7:03
Jump ball. (Aggies gains possession)
7:00
+2
Tyrece Radford makes two point jump shot (Wade Taylor IV assists)
35-22
6:31
Tyrese Samuel misses two point layup
6:29
Manny Obaseki defensive rebound
6:11
+2
Tyrece Radford makes two point jump shot (Wade Taylor IV assists)
37-22
5:43
Alex Condon misses two point jump shot
5:41
Gators offensive rebound
5:38
Gators turnover
5:20
+3
Wade Taylor IV makes three point jump shot (Tyrece Radford assists)
40-22
5:10
Solomon Washington shooting foul
5:10
+1
Zyon Pullin makes regular free throw 1 of 2
40-23
5:10
+1
Zyon Pullin makes regular free throw 2 of 2
40-24
4:55
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
4:53
Zyon Pullin defensive rebound
4:48
Zyon Pullin offensive foul
4:48
Zyon Pullin turnover (offensive foul)
4:36
Solomon Washington offensive foul
4:36
Solomon Washington turnover (offensive foul)
4:16
+3
Denzel Aberdeen makes three point jump shot (Alex Condon assists)
40-27
3:58
+2
Wade Taylor IV makes two point layup
42-27
3:49
+2
Denzel Aberdeen makes two point jump shot
42-29
3:33
Wade Taylor IV misses two point jump shot
3:33
Alex Condon defensive rebound
3:33
Wildens Leveque personal foul
3:33
TV timeout
3:33
+1
Alex Condon makes regular free throw 1 of 2
42-30
3:33
+1
Alex Condon makes regular free throw 2 of 2
42-31
3:21
Tyrece Radford turnover (Denzel Aberdeen steals)
3:17
+2
Denzel Aberdeen makes two point layup
42-33
2:57
Denzel Aberdeen shooting foul
2:57
+1
Wade Taylor IV makes regular free throw 1 of 2
43-33
2:57
+1
Wade Taylor IV makes regular free throw 2 of 2
44-33
2:31
+3
Denzel Aberdeen makes three point jump shot
44-36
2:09
+2
Wade Taylor IV makes two point jump shot
46-36
2:02
+3
Will Richard makes three point jump shot (Zyon Pullin assists)
46-39
1:49
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
1:47
Zyon Pullin defensive rebound
1:42
Will Richard misses three point jump shot
1:40
Manny Obaseki defensive rebound
1:14
Henry Coleman III misses two point jump shot
1:12
Manny Obaseki offensive rebound
1:12
+2
Manny Obaseki makes two point layup
48-39
1:12
Alex Condon shooting foul
1:12
Manny Obaseki misses regular free throw 1 of 1
1:12
Tyrese Samuel defensive rebound
1:11
Jace Carter personal foul
1:11
+1
Tyrese Samuel makes regular free throw 1 of 2
48-40
1:11
Tyrese Samuel misses regular free throw 2 of 2
1:11
Tyrece Radford defensive rebound
0:52
Tyrece Radford misses two point jump shot
0:50
Zyon Pullin defensive rebound
0:45
Zyon Pullin misses two point layup
0:43
Alex Condon offensive rebound
0:36
+2
Zyon Pullin makes two point jump shot
48-42
0:25
Aggies 30 second timeout
0:06
+2
Manny Obaseki makes two point layup
50-42
0:06
Thomas Haugh shooting foul
0:06
Manny Obaseki misses regular free throw 1 of 1
0:06
Alex Condon defensive rebound
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
TXAM
Aggies
40
FLA
Gators
53
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:55
+3
Zyon Pullin makes three point jump shot
50-45
19:40
Walter Clayton Jr. shooting foul (Tyrece Radford draws the foul)
19:40
+1
Tyrece Radford makes regular free throw 1 of 2
51-45
19:40
+1
Tyrece Radford makes regular free throw 2 of 2
52-45
19:18
Will Richard misses two point jump shot
19:16
Micah Handlogten offensive rebound
19:15
Micah Handlogten misses two point layup
19:13
Will Richard offensive rebound
19:13
Wade Taylor IV personal foul
19:10
+2
Tyrese Samuel makes two point layup (Micah Handlogten assists)
52-47
18:51
Micah Handlogten shooting foul (Solomon Washington draws the foul)
18:51
+1
Solomon Washington makes regular free throw 1 of 2
53-47
18:51
+1
Solomon Washington makes regular free throw 2 of 2
54-47
18:33
Tyrese Samuel turnover (bad pass) (Manny Obaseki steals)
18:27
Manny Obaseki turnover (lost ball) (Tyrese Samuel steals)
18:19
Alex Condon turnover (bad pass) (Solomon Washington steals)
18:07
Solomon Washington misses two point layup
18:05
Manny Obaseki offensive rebound
17:51
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
17:49
Gators defensive rebound
17:26
Andersson Garcia personal foul (Tyrese Samuel draws the foul)
17:14
Jump ball. Zyon Pullin vs. Solomon Washington (Solomon Washington gains possession)
17:14
Zyon Pullin turnover (lost ball) (Solomon Washington steals)
16:58
Solomon Washington misses three point jump shot
16:56
Walter Clayton Jr. defensive rebound
16:49
Wade Taylor IV personal foul
16:43
+2
Alex Condon makes two point jump shot
54-49
16:28
Jump ball. Wade Taylor IV vs. Walter Clayton Jr. (Walter Clayton Jr. gains possession)
16:28
Wade Taylor IV turnover (lost ball) (Walter Clayton Jr. steals)
16:04
+3
Walter Clayton Jr. makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Samuel assists)
54-52
15:45
TV timeout
15:37
Tyrece Radford misses two point layup
15:35
Aggies offensive rebound
15:28
Tyrese Samuel shooting foul (Solomon Washington draws the foul)
15:28
+1
Solomon Washington makes regular free throw 1 of 2
55-52
15:28
+1
Solomon Washington makes regular free throw 2 of 2
56-52
15:12
Tyrece Radford shooting foul (Will Richard draws the foul)
15:12
+1
Will Richard makes regular free throw 1 of 2
56-53
15:12
Will Richard misses regular free throw 2 of 2
15:12
Tyrece Radford defensive rebound
14:54
+2
Jace Carter makes two point layup
58-53
14:33
+3
Will Richard makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Samuel assists)
58-56
14:16
Tyrece Radford misses two point jump shot
14:14
Alex Condon defensive rebound
13:52
+3
Walter Clayton Jr. makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Samuel assists)
