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Georgia holds off Florida's late comeback to complete the upset (2:02)
Georgia nearly squanders its big lead on No. 3 Florida, but holds on late to secure the upset. (2:02)
ESPN News Services
Feb 25, 2025, 09:53 PM ET
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia guard Blue Cain sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining after No. 3 Florida took its first lead while scoring 13 unanswered points, and the Bulldogs beat the Gators 88-83 on Tuesday night.
Florida, which trailed by 26 points in the first half, rallied from a 78-67 deficit with the 13-0 run to lead 80-78. Cain's 3-pointer ended the run.
Georgia (17-11, 5-10 Southeastern Conference) boosted its hopes for its first NCAA tournament berth since 2015. Tuesday night's win was its first against a team ranked in the top five of the Associated Press poll since the Bulldogs beat then-No. 5 Kentucky in January 2004. Georgia's 28-game losing streak in such games was the third-longest in SEC history.
The Bulldogs also ended Florida's 12-game winning streak in the series and gave coach Mike White his first win against his former Florida team. White had been 0-6 against the Gators, including a 30-point loss in the first meeting this season in Gainesville.
Will Richard scored a career-high 30 points but Florida (24-4, 11-4) fell short of pulling off its second comeback in four days. The Gators rallied from an eight-point, second-half deficit to beat LSU 79-65 on Saturday night. Had they won Tuesday night, it would have been the second-largest comeback victory in Division I this season, after Arkansas State rallied from a 27-point deficit to beat UAB on Dec. 15.
Only one team in SEC history has won a game after trailing by 25-plus points: Kentucky, which overcame a 31-point deficit to beat LSU in 1994.
Thomas Haugh's layup with 1:28 remaining gave the Gators their first lead at 79-78.
Silas Demary Jr. led Georgia, which snapped a four-game losing streak, with 21 points. His four made 3-pointers matched his career high and helped him to his third career 20-point game, all of which have come against ranked opponents. Asa Newell had 15 for the Bulldogs.
Georgia fans obliged repeated requests from the public address announcer to give Florida's team and officials 90 seconds to leave before charging the court. Fans then flooded the court.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
