Photo: Florida head coach Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall
The Florida Gators turned in their third straight win on Saturday, holding on to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs in overtime, 102-98 , in a crucial matchup for their postseason hopes.
Not only did the victory maintain the Gators’ internal momentum heading into an SEC conference-opening rematch with the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday, but it signaled Florida’s fortitude on a national landscape for a potential NCAA Tournament berth.
NCAA.com’s Andy Katz took notice when compiling his weekly Power 36 rankings, slotting the Gators in at No. 33 from their previously unranked position during the Jan. 22 rendition of the series.
“The Gators are making a midseason push with a three-game win streak,” Katz wrote, justifying his inclusion of Golden’s program.
Despite a near-catastrophic collapse against Georgia on Saturday, seeing a 21-point second-half lead evaporate as the Bulldogs pulled even with under a minute remaining to force overtime, Florida connected on all seven free throw attempts in the added five minutes to notch a significant victory on their home hardwood against its SEC rival.