LSU basketball had a chance to go on its first winning streak of Southeastern Conference play but standing in its way was a top-25 opponent.
The Tigers (14-13, 3-11 SEC) hosted No. 2 Florida on Saturday in the comforts of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for their sixth matchup versus a ranked opponent. Momentum seemed to be in the Tigers' favor heading into halftime but that was short-lived once the Gator's offense got hot in the second. That fiery second half helped the Gators snap the Tigers' two-game winning streak, beating them 79-65.
"At halftime, we had to recalibrate and make sure that we got back to defending, rebounding, take care of the ball, and doing the things that don't require talent," Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. "I thought we imposed our will in the second half obviously, scoring 48 points."
The Gators (24-3, 11-3) had a winning streak of their own entering the game and winning pushed it to six games. Leading them in the paint against LSU was sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu and his team-high 19 points and 13 rebounds.
LSU's star guard Cam Carter couldn't get hot and was held to just seven points, letting the Tigers' bench do the heavy lifting.
Watch LSU basketball vs Florida on SEC Network
LSU 59, Florida 69:Just when the Tigers think they are getting steps closer to tying the game up, an untimely turnover kills them. They have turned over the ball five times in the second half giving way for Florida's solid transition offense. The Gators have four players scoring in double digits in Chinyelu, Clayton Jr., Martin and forward Thomas Haugh.
LSU 52, Florida 60:Rebounding has been tough for the Tigers who look undersized against the tall towers in the paint for Florida. The Gators have been outrebounding them all night snagging 16 offensive rebounds. Those second chances account for 12 of their points so far.
"Our guys like Rob and Daimion have to come over to help, and now we're out of position to go get some of those defensive rebounds," LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon said. "So I thought it started with the transition off our own turnovers and mistakes and then finished with our inability to contain the dribble."
LSU 52, Florida 60:LSU only turned the ball over once in the first half but ball security wasn't as tight to kick off the second half. Three turnovers later and the Tigers have given Florida back the lead. The Gators' big men are getting active helping their offense fielding percentage get up to 44% compared to LSU's 40% from the field.
LSU 48, Florida 51:Clayon Jr. continues to score timely buckets for the Gators. His mid-range jumper gave Florida back the lead. Along with him, Chinyelu is making it happen in the paint with a team-high 15 points. The Gators are also outrebounding the Tigers 35-22 helping their comeback campaign.
LSU 46, Florida 38:Picking up right where he left off was Miller in the second half scoring a bucket as soon as he checked in. The three-point shooting continues to be a strength for the Tigers. For Florida, Clayton Jr. is starting to heat up with 11 points. He is leading the Gators' offense so far.
LSU 37, Florida 31:After trailing by as much as eight points, the Tigers clawed their way back to go into halftime with a six-point lead. Freshman Miller is the driving force behind their comeback scoring 12 points in the first half. Six of those points came from beyond the arch.
Speaking of the deep ball, LSU started off the game cold but quickly heated up. With Miller and Williams leading the charge, the Tigers are shooting 38% from deep as a team making six three-pointers.
"Credit to LSU, I thought they punked us for this back half of the first half," Golden said. "They went on a 22-2 run, made some big 3s, played with a lot of confidence, didn't allow us to operate very comfortably offensively."
LSU 26, Florida 29:Keeping LSU in the game and helping it close the gap to just three points were bench players. Guard Mike Williams III knocked down a clutch 3-pointer then forward Robert Miller III followed that up with a two-hand slam sending the fans in PMAC into a frenzy.
LSU 15, Florida 27:The Tigers are struggling to put a body on Chinyelu who is leading the Gators' offense with eight points. The 6-foot-10 and 260-pounder have made them pay in the paint and even outside of it knocking down a jumper. He is also leading all rebounders with four making him a big threat this half.
LSU 7, Florida 18:For almost three minutes it seemed like there was a lid over the Tigers basket. Their offense went cold and Florida's offense got hot. The Gators are shooting 43% from deep so far with guard Aliyah Martin leading them.
LSU 4, Florida 9:At the first media timeout, the Gators hold a lead thanks to hustling on the glass. They are already outrebounding the Tigers 6-3 and have forced a turnover. Getting center Rueben Chinyelu going early on has been the plan so far as he has four points to lead them.
Date:Saturday, Feb. 22
Time:5 p.m. CT
Location:Pete Maravich Assembly Center
TV channel:SEC Network
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio:LSU Sports Radio Network
LSU basketball vs Florida will be available live on SEC Network and ESPN+ in its 14th SEC game of the 2025 college basketball season. Kevin Fitzgerald and Jon Sundvold will provide commentary from Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ .
Series record:LSU leads 66-53
In Baton Rouge:LSU leads 38-16
In Gainesville:Florida leads 32-20
LSU's last win:Jan. 12, 2022 (64-58)
Florida's last win:Feb. 13, 2024 (82-80)
REQUIRED READING: LSU basketball gets hot from deep to breeze past South Carolina
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Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU basketball vs. No. 2 Florida final score and highlights
