What Happened

SAN DIEGO – Texas Christian guard Brock Harding broke a tie game with 50 seconds to go, then hit xxxx free throws down the stretch, as the Horned Frogs wiped out a 10-point deficit Thursday and upset 10th-ranked Florida xx-xx in opening-round play of the Rady Children’s Invitational at Jenny Craig Pavilion. 

The loss was UF’s first outside the Southeastern Conference since the 102-100 defeat against Colorado in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Indianapolis. 

Junior guard Urban Klavzar led the Gators with 20 points off the bench, including four 3-pointers, and Thomas Haugh scored 20 as well, but the story of the game was how TCU was able to get so many good looks against the UF defense ont he way to shooting 58% in the second half in going 15-for-20 (75%) from inside the 3-point line. 

Harding scored 19 points, dished 12 assis and had five of his team’s 12 steals. Backup forward Jace Posey came off the bench to lead all scorers with 21 points, going six of eight from the floor and nine of 11 from the free-throw line. Forward David Punch had 19 points and nine rebounds.

The Gators, after a foul-plagued first half when they led by two at intermission, built a 10-point cushion five minutes into the second, but the Frogs came hopping and and retook the lead. UF, behind Klavzar, got up by six, but TCU, with Posey working in the post, came back to go ahead 75-74 on a driving layup by Micah Robinson with 3:14 remaining. 

The first half was a foul-plagued mess, with officials calling 26 fouls and the teams combining for 27 free throws. The largest lead was UF’s six-point edge with three minutes to go, as the Gators, who shot 50% in the first period and held the Frogs to 39, went to the locker room up with a 44-39 advantage, despite 10 turnovers. 

 

 

Turning Point 

xxxxx 
 

Staggering Statistic

The game had no flow in the first half, with officials calling 26 fouls and the two teams combining for 37 free throws The first 57 seconds was the longest stretch of the first half without a foul being called. 
 

Up Next

Florida (5-1) OR (4-2) will face either Wisconsin (4-1) or Providence (4-2) — the two play in event’s second game — in the tournament championship/consolation game Friday at noon or 3:30. 

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.