GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On the eve of college basketball’s biggest month, Florida State coach Todd Golden’s red-hot Gators look like a team ready to make another playoff run.
The No. 7 Gators defeated No. 20 Arkansas 111-77 on Saturday night to close out February at a perfect 8-0 and prepare for another memorable March as a championship team finds its stride.
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Florida’s one-sided performance has earned Golden’s team the title. The win knocks Arkansas (21-8, 11-5 SEC) out of conference play and puts the Gators (23-6, 14-2) two games ahead of Alabama (22-7, 12-4) with two games remaining, ensuring Florida has at least a share of the school’s eighth regular-season conference title.
The Gators will likely open their home game against Mississippi State on Tuesday night.
Saturday night’s high-stakes matchup between two national championship coaches showcased the Gators’ depth, versatility and killer instinct.
“No one here can stop them,” Golden said. “We just kept scoring, scoring, scoring.”
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Seven Gators scored in double figures for the first time since 2017, led by Thomas Haugh’s team-high 22 points as UF shot 54.8 percent from the field. Center Rueben Chinyelu notched his 17th double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds as Florida led 51-31. Led by guard Urban Klavzar’s 14 points, the Gators defeated Razorback Prep 33-23, handing coach John Calipari his first loss in Gainesville since coaching Kentucky in 2018.
The 34-point loss tied the 67-year-old Hall of Famer’s biggest career deficit.
Despite a six-game winning streak at home in Florida, Calipari has suffered some blows at the Odome, including four double-digit losses in six straight games from 2013-18.
Gainesville’s Calipari didn’t lose in Saturday night’s game in front of 11,076 fans, a national TV audience and 16 NBA scouts, and the Gators are 42-3 at home over the past three seasons.
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Arkansas fought early. Star freshman and SEC scoring leader Darius Acuff Jr.’s jumper gave the team a 16-11 lead.
But the Gators answered the Razorbacks’ 8-0 run with a 12-0 run, capped by Klavzal’s 3-pointer to give the team a 23-16 lead.
The Gators built a 24-point lead in the first half and never led by less than 19 points the rest of the way.
Another 3-pointer by Klavzal extended the Gators’ lead to 30 points for the first time, making it 73-43 with 13:22 left.
The only remaining drama involves Florida State point guard Boogie Fland, who transferred from Arkansas in May. The 6-foot-3 sophomore scored 14 points, dished out four assists and made no turnovers, but with 5:12 left, he hit the floor hard, led his coach into the locker room and left the game.