GAINESVILLE, Florida (AP) – AJ Lawson scored 22 points, Seventh Woods added 12 and South Carolina won No. 22 Florida 72-66 on Wednesday night, potentially making the Gators’ return to the rankings a brief one.
Keyshawn Bryant scored eight points for the Gamecocks, including six in a decisive 13-1 run in the final 6:37 am to close the game. This outbreak turned a six-point deficit into an unlikely victory.
Bryant scored on two dunks and a putback, a microcosm of Florida’s problems all night. South Carolina (5-6, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) dominated the Gators (10-5, 6-4) from the inside, overtaking them by 50-30 in the painting and obtaining 13 offensive rebounds.
Florida was playing its first game as a qualifying team in more than 14 months. The Gators entered the Top 25 after winning four in a row, including wins against No. 6 Tennessee and No. 11 West Virginia.
But they were nothing like the same team against South Carolina coach Frank Martin’s tough and troubled band.
Gamecocks hit the ball early and often, so many times that Florida ended the game with 12 blocks. But the strategy worked, since Lawson hit 9 of 16 shots and eight rebounds. Bryant added seven plates.
Tre Mann led Florida with 17 points and eight rebounds. Noah Locke added 15 out of five points out of 3. Colin Castleton scored 11 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks, his fourth game with at least five blocks in the last six games.
But Castleton and his companion Omar Payne were brought up in and around the edge.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: The Gamecocks won their first game in five attempts away from home. But they have no gimmes on the stretch with road games remaining against Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. Each of these teams has at least eight wins at home.
Florida: Hours after expelling striker Keyontae Johnson for the remainder of the season, the Gators have lost all momentum they have gained in recent weeks. Johnson’s family released a statement saying that experts unanimously agree that his collapse in the Florida state court on December 12 was unrelated to having COVID-19 in the summer. The family added that Johnson “will spend the rest of the season focused on being the best coach and teammate he can be”.
NEXT
South Carolina: receives the state of Mississippi on Saturday, the first of three in a row at home.
Florida: Plays at LSU on Saturday, starting a stretch of three of four on the road.
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