No. 5 Florida knocks off No. 7 Alabama to clinch second seed in SEC Tournament

New York Times

06-03-2025

By Kennington Smith III and Scott Dochterman
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 5 Florida was one of the hottest teams in the country, winning six games in a row from Feb. 4-22, including an 81-70 win over No. 1 Auburn. An upset loss on Feb. 25 at Georgia was a setback, but the Gators have bounced back with two impressive wins: 89-70 over No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday and a 99-94 win over No. 7 Alabama on Wednesday night.
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With the win, Florida (26-4, 13-4 SEC) has clinched the second seed in next week's SEC Tournament, and it's the first time in program history that the Gators have won two top-10 road games in the same season.
Sophomore Alex Condin's career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds was the highlight performance of the night. Senior Walton Clayton Jr. chipped in 21 points, five rebounds and eight assists to lead the Gators. For Alabama Mark Sears' 30 points and 19 points from Labaron Philon were a few bright spots for an Alabama offense that found its shot late in the game but wasn't consistent enough across 40 minutes.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Gators under third-year coach Todd Golden. Florida, which has won eight of its past nine games, qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year as a No. 7 seed after missing the tournament the previous two years. The Gators now have seven Quad 1 wins.
Florida now is in strong competition to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time overall and first since 2014. The previous two times the Gators earned a No. 1 seed, they reached the Final Four, including a national championship in 2007.
Florida ends regular-season play on Saturday against Ole Miss. A possible SEC semifinal matchup against either Alabama or perhaps Tennessee (which split with the Gators during the regular season) should determine whether Florida enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. — Dochterman
In a matchup of top-10 offenses, Florida kept Alabama's offense in check and controlled the pace with its physicality. The Gators outrebounded Alabama 50-35, including a 16-10 edge in offensive rebounds, which led to a 19-10 advantage in second-chance points.
'I don't think anybody has been particularly tough,' Alabama coach Nate Oats said to ESPN at halftime. 'We got to get some guys in there to dig out some tough defensive rebounds. We're down six (in offensive rebounding).'
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That rebounding advantage, plus an efficient shooting night (49 percent from the field) meant Florida prevented Alabama from playing in transition. While in the half court, Florida's defense kept Alabama from finding consistency from 3-point range (9-of-25) and forced the offense into tough 2-pointers. Florida had the advantage in pace, scoring 22 fast-break points compared to just 10 for Alabama.
It was a bitter senior night for players like Sears, who finished his Alabama career with 79 home wins. His 16 first-half points both teams, but a 5-for-14 shooting performance in the second half, including 1-6 from 3, came at an inopportune time as only one Alabama player shot better than 50 percent from the floor: Philon.
Alabama got hot in the final five minutes, scoring 24 points and raising its percentages, but one stat still stands out: 68 percent (17-of-25) from the free-throw line. — Smith
Alabama's late-season stretch was well-documented with seven consecutive games against ranked opponents. Wednesday's loss drops the Crimson Tide to 2-4 in the first six of those games. The last game of the regular season is on Saturday at No. 1 Auburn. Alabama (23-7, 12-5) has yet to secure a top-four seed and double-bye in the SEC Tournament, which is the difference between playing as many as four games (beginning next Thursday) or as many as three games (beginning next Friday) in Nashville.
Against Auburn, a win will clinch a top-four seed, but a loss could drop Alabama to the No. 5 seed — losing a tiebreaker to Missouri because of a head-to-head loss. But if Missouri loses one of its two remaining games against Oklahoma and Kentucky, Alabama will clinch a double-bye. If Tennessee loses to both Ole Miss and South Carolina, that would deliver the Tide a double-bye.
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Alabama's late-season skid doesn't diminish the ceiling of this team's potential but serves as a barometer for how it stacks up against some of the nation's best teams with the postseason looming. It's worth noting that Alabama was 5-6 in its last 11 games before its Final Four run a year ago, but finding some momentum entering March is the most ideal outcome during the next week and a half. — Smith
Late in the second half, Alabama freshman center Aiden Sherrell collided with Florida senior forward Alijah Martin while attempting to secure a loose ball and left the game with a head injury. Martin was taken to the locker room for evaluation but was able to return. Sherrell was having one of the best games of his career with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting in just 10 minutes of action.
(Photo of Walter Clayton Jr. (1): Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images)