Gators junior center Micah Handlogten returned from a season-ending injury to help fourth-ranked Florida dominate fifth-ranked Alabama 104-82 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals. With the win, UF (29-4) advances to Sunday’s tournament title game against sixth-ranked Tennessee.
Handlogten made his comeback after suffering a horrific compound fracture last year in the SEC championship game against Auburn. The injury shook the Gators’ team and cost them their chance at winning the title. However, this time around, Handlogten opted out of his medical redshirt season to focus on helping his team win.
Walter Clayton Jr. led all scorers with 22 points, including six three-pointers, while Alijah Martin and Will Richard each scored 16 points. Rueben Chinyelu had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench. Thomas Haugh chipped in with 11 points off the bench.
Florida’s defense held Alabama to 41.8% shooting, including 31.4% from three-point range. The Gators’ offense was efficient, shooting 51.4% in the first half and 55.9% in the second period.
Coach Todd Golden praised his team’s depth, saying it wore down Alabama in the second half. “We simply think our depth wore them out,” he said.
The win solidified Florida’s spot as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The question now is whether they will be one of the two highest seeds.
“It’s a great win for our program,” Golden said. “I thought our guys did an incredible job just competing for 40 minutes.”
With another statement victory, UF is on track to achieve its goals. As coach Todd Golden said, “We want to be the hardest-playing team on the floor.” With this win, they are one step closer to making that a reality.
Source: https://floridagators.com/news/2025/3/15/mens-basketball-florida-flattens-alabama-to-reach-title-game-march-15-2025.aspx