What Happened
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Florida sophomore backup forward Thomas Haugh knocked down a pair of game-sealing free throws with 7.9 seconds remaining and the seventh-ranked Gators survived a furious North Carolina comeback and hostile, partisan crowd Tuesday night at Spectrum Center to claim a 90-84 victory over the Tar Heels and remain unbeaten through 11 games for only the second time in the program’s 118-year basketball history.
Senior guard Will Richard scored 22 points, including two for-good-measure free throws with 3.8 seconds left, as the Gators, who trailed by two inside two minutes remaining, scored the game’s final eight points, grabbed the game’s final six rebounds and walled up on a UNC offense that shot 63 percent in the second half after clanging at 29.7 percent in the first half to trail by 12 at the break.
UF fifth-year guard Alijah Martin scored 19 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished four assists, but had four of his team’s 17 turnovers that the Tar Heels converted to 24 points. Martin missed nine of his first 10 from 3-point range, but hit a huge one that tied the game at 82 with 2:26 remaining and helped ignite the comeback.
Tar Heels guard RJ Davis was sensational in defeat, pouring in a game-high 29 points, but missed a wide-open go-ahead 3 with 41 seconds after the Gators had grabbed an 86-84 lead on an offensive rebound and putback by Richard. On the ensuing Florida possession after the Davis miss, the Gators ran clock and managed to get off a late Martin jumper that found iron. Haugh (9 points, 6 rebounds), though, was there to grab the board, was fouled and converted the free throws for a four-point lead.
At Carolina’s end, point guard Elliot Cadeau missed the front end of a one-and-one, with Richard grabbing his sixth rebound and sinking both free throws at the other end to finish things off.
Florida, which built a 17-point first-half lead behind 53 percent from the floor, finished at 46.2 percent for the game, including 11-for-32 from deep (34.4 percent), 19-for-27 from the free-throw line, but 8-for-8 inside the final four minutes. UNC, which missed its first 10 3-pointers, finished at 45.8 for the game after going 19-for-23 from the 2-point area (82-6 percent) after halftime.
Carolina, after falling back by 17, scored seven of the final nine points of the first half to trail 46-34, then started the second half with an 11-0 tear to close within a point before Haugh broke the Gators’ cold spell with a 3-pointer. UF managed to take the margin back out to seven on a second 3-pointer from sophomore forward Alex Condon (9 points, 10 rebounds), but the Tar Heels kept coming and eventually took their first lead since the opening three minutes on an old-fashioned 3-point play by Davis with 7:56 to go.
From there came four ties and six lead changes, the last coming after UNC saw a four-point edge, 81-77, inside four minutes disappear. The Tar Heels led 82-79 when Martin drained his three. Cadeau answered with a driving layup at the 2:12 mark, but that was the last time his team scored. Two Martin two free throws tied the game at 1:49, then Martin forced Cadeau into a turnover with 1:27 left that set up Richard’s offensive rebound at Florida’s end.
UF sophomore forward Thomas Haugh goes over UNC’s Jalen Washington for a first-half basket Tuesday night.
What it Means
After winning their first 10 games by double digits, the Gators needed a test like this one. They passed and joined the 2005-06 NCAA championship team as the only ones in UF history win their first 11 games. UF banked its second Quadrant 1 victory of the season — the second in four days, actually — and put a third all-time win over the Tar Heels (and first since 2000) in the books. With the run of five consecutive games (and wins) against high-major opponents done, the Gators have positioned themselves to navigate their non-league schedule without a loss and, assuming business is taken care of on the home floor the next two games, have a very good shot at taking a perfect record into Southeastern Conference play. Read on.
In the Spotlight
The 6-foot-9 Haugh finished at a plus-22 in only 20 minutes and did it against the blue-blood Tar Heels in what amounted to a road game. He’s a terrific player with a terrific future, but he’s outstanding in the present.
Staggering Statistic
How ’bout that 7-0 scoring advantage and 6-0 rebounding edge to close out a game the Gators were losing? That’s clutch, especially in this environment.
Up Next
Florida (11-0) is back in action at home Saturday with a noon tip-off against North Florida (7-5), which lost 95-81 Tuesday at UNC-Asheville. Yes, the Ospreys may have five losses, but among their seven wins are road games at South Carolina and Georgia Tech that should get the Gators’ attention.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu