What Happened

COLUMBIA, S.C  – Florida absolutely massacred South Carolina on the road Wednesday night. 

The 19th-ranked Gators shot 62% from the floor, out-rebounded the Gamecocks 45-24, posted 28 assists and never trailed in a 95-48 laugher at Colonial Life Arena that equaled the program’s most lopsided Southeastern Conference victory in program history, as well as the largest on the road.

Junior forward Thomas Haugh led UF with 18 points, junior center Rueben Chinyelu posted his league-best 12th double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while three different Gators tallied at least six assists, led by Xaivian Lee’s season-high nine. 

The effort was a dominant bounce-back on the road after Saturday’s stinging home defeat against Auburn and kept the Gators in a tie for second place (with Arkansas) in the league standings, a half-game behind Texas A&M, which had its mid-week bye. 

UF led 12-8 when reserve guard Urban Klavzar hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a double-digit advantage, 18-8, barely nine minutes into the game. Seven minutes later, the Gators were up 35-11 after scoring 15 straight points, seven of them from Haugh, including a 3-ball in transition. The run was the start of 11 consecutive made field goals for the Gators, who were up by 30, at 48-18, before the Gamecocks hit a pair of free throws 25 seconds before intermission. 

The second half basically was rinse and repeat.

 

Turning Point 

Fifteen straight points on the road is hard to do. Not as hard as winning by 47, though.
 

Staggering Statistic

The 47-point margin of victory matched the 94-47 win over Ole Miss at Gainesville in 1994 as the largest ever in SEC play. The previously largest margin on the SEC road was 35, which the Gators had done three times, mostly recently with a 106-71 win at LSU on Jan. 25, 2017. 
 

Up Next

Florida (15-6, 6-2) is back home this weekend, but for a rare Sunday game against 23rd-ranked Alabama (14-6, 4-3) in what — given the Charles Bediako G League-to-SEC situation — should be one of the liveliest atmospheres at the O’Dome this season. South Carolina (11-10, 2-6) is home Saturday against LSU.

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