GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP)-- Riley Kugel scored 22 points, Walter Clayton Jr. included 20 and Florida upset No. 12 Auburn 81-65 on Saturday to put itself in position to make the NCAA Tournament for the very first time in 3 years.
The Gators (16-7, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) extended their home-winning streak versus the somewhat favored Tigers to 15 and picked up their second Quad 1 success in two weeks. This one was available in surprising style.
Florida controlled Auburn (19-5, 8-3) from the opening tip and-- for a change-- never slow down. Coach Todd Golden's group had actually lost 3 games this season (Wake Forest, Texas A&M and Kentucky) after leading at halftime and misused huge leads before eking out wins versus Georgia and Mississippi State late last month.
But Florida kipped down its most total video game of the season, leading Auburn by as many as 29 in the second half, and might have done enough to raise itself off the proverbial NCAA bubble for great.
Zyon Pullin cracked in 19 points for the Gators, who shot 40% from the field and made 7 of 21 from 3-point range.
Florida scored the very first nine points of the video game and opened a 17-point lead midway through the first half thanks primarily to safeguard play. Clayton, Kugel and Pullin showed to be a handful for Auburn's backcourt.
And the Tigers' viewed advantage in the paint with Johni Broome never ever materialized. Broome, who leads Auburn in scoring with 16 points a game, ended up with 12 points and 7 boards. He had just 5 points with 10 to play and missed out on seven of 8 totally free tosses.
K.D. Johnson likewise scored 12 points for the Tigers. Auburn, which last won in Gainesville in 1996, missed out on 14 of 17 shots from behind the arc.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Auburn might fall some in the next AP college basketball poll, but the Tigers likewise took pleasure in a remarkable home triumph versus 16th-ranked and competing Alabama previously in the week.
BROAD VIEW
Auburn: The Tigers looked poised to end a decades-long skid in Gainesville, however the O'Dome has actually been the program's house of horrors considering that 1996. A road loss in league play, though, does little to impact Auburn's opportunities of winning the SEC and possibly getting a front runner in the NCAA Tournament.
Florida: The Gators needed another Quad 1 win to strengthen their NCAA resume. They won at Kentucky to end January and added another solid success versus the Tigers to provide a bit more margin for mistake down the stretch.
HOME TOWN HERO
Previous Florida star and
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson got a standing ovation while being presented in the very first half. Richardson, a Gainesville local, sat courtside with a good friend and was shown on electronic camera dancing the team's mascot, Alberta.
UP NEXT
Auburn hosts South Carolina on Wednesday.
Florida hosts LSU on Tuesday.
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