Florida Men’s Basketball (16-7, 6-4 SEC) vs. LSU (12-11, 4-6 SEC)
Florida Game Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/2/12/2024.02.13_LSU.pdf> | 2023-24 Media Guide<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/10/30/2023-24_Media_Guide_Web.pdf> | Media Resources<https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iv6cc1nl98a49pv/AAD_LkZm6hKvVz7FpyboOUR1a?dl=0>
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 | 8 p.m.
Tickets Available<https://www.ticketmaster.com/florida-gators-mens-basketball-vs-lsu-gainesville-florida-02-13-2024/event/22005F2F9F8AD08C>
TV/Streaming
SEC Network | ESPN App<http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=460f9bda-3990-43e7-b023-a0268faffd8a>
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart | Analyst: Dane Bradshaw
Radio
Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5321> | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 388 & SXM App<https://sxm.app.link/978>
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Analyst: Lee Humphrey | Producer/Engineer: Steve Egan
The Tip-Off
* Florida welcomes LSU for the only regular season meeting between the teams. UF enters with five wins in its last six games and boasts a 10-1 home record this season, most recently besting 12th-ranked Auburn, 81-65, in a game the Gators led by as many as 29.
* Zyon Pullin leads the SEC in assist/turnover ratio both overall (4.1) and in conference play (4.5), and his 5.0 assists per game rank second in the SEC. Pullin has scored 10+ points in every appearance this season, and his 20-game double-figure scoring streak is the fifth-longest by a Gator since 1996-97.
* Florida has two of the top three offensive rebounders in the SEC in Micah Handlogten (3.3) and Tyrese Samuel (3.1), and UF’s 39.8% offensive rebounding rate is second-highest in the nation. Samuel has nine double-doubles with three 20/10 outings, including his 22-point, 13-rebound eff ort in the win at #10 Kentucky.
* Florida’s win against #12 Auburn marked its fourth top-25 win in the team’s 56th game under Todd Golden. Golden became the second-quickest UF coach all-time to get his fourth ranked win and the fastest in more than 50 years, only trailing Tommy Bartlett (30 games, hired in 1966).
* Will Richard stands at 990 career points, 10 away from the 1,000-point milestone. He scored 399 in one season at Belmont and has 591 as a Gator.
2023-24 Highlights
* Florida’s win vs. #12 Auburn marked the Gators’ 15th in a row at home vs. the Tigers. Riley Kugel’s 22 points led the Gators, along with 20 points from Walter Clayton Jr. and 19 by Zyon Pullin, while the Gators matched a season low with just seven turnovers.
* Micah Handlogten posted 23 points and 17 rebounds in the win vs. Georgia, while Zyon Pullin scored seven of his 20 points in the overtime period. Handlogten is just the fifth SEC player over the last 10 seasons to post 23 and 17 in a conference game, joining Oscar Tshiebwe, Sindarius Thornwell, Ben Simmons & Jordan Mickey.
* Will Richard led the Gators with 23 points and nine rebounds in the win vs. Mississippi State as Florida committed a season-low seven turnovers. Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr. each added 15 points.
* Five Gators scored in double figures in the victory at Mizzou, led by Tyrese Samuel’s 17, while Micah Handlogten posted a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double.
* Five Gators in double figures highlighted UF’s win vs. Arkansas, as Riley Kugel scored 20 points off the bench to lead the way and Tyrese Samuel added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
* Zyon Pullin scored 22 and Tyrese Samuel posted 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Gators’ double overtime victory vs. Michigan in Charlotte. Pullin’s 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds remaining in the first overtime forced the second extra session, where an 11-0 UF run put the game away.
* Will Richard earned Orange Bowl Classic MVP honors as he scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half to lead the Gators vs. Richmond. Richard posted a solo 9-0 run as he hit three 3-pointers in a 90-second span that helped create separation vs. the Spiders.
* The Gators topped Pitt in the first game of the NIT Season Tip-Off behind 28 points from Walter Clayton Jr. on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range, a 20-point, 10-rebound performance from Tyrese Samuel and a 24-to-8 assist-to-turnover showing as a team.
* Florida blitzed Florida State, leading 27-5 before taking a 52-22 advantage into halftime. The Gators shot .643 and held the Seminoles to .258 from the field during the first half.
