GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Haugh had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Boogie Fland added 18 points and No. 10 Florida handed rival Florida State its first loss under new coach Luke Loucks, 78-76 on Tuesday night.
The defending national champions nearly squandered a nine-point lead in the final six-plus minutes before making enough plays down the stretch to extend their winning streak in the series to five.
Fland hit two free throws with 15.8 seconds remaining to put Florida (2-1) up 76-73, and Robert McCray V missed 3-point attempt on the other end. Alex Condon, who committed three turnovers that allowed the Seminoles (2-1) to rally late, seemingly closed it out by hitting two free throws with five seconds left.
But it wasn’t over until Chauncey Wiggins’ 80-foot shot came up short. Wiggins got a chance because Haugh missed two free throws.
McCray scored nine consecutive points for Florida State down the stretch, but he missed the second of two free throws with 17 seconds to go. He finished with 29 points. Wiggins added 11, and Kobe MaGee chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds.
Florida dominated the boards, finishing with a 58-36 rebounding advantage.
Rueben Chinyelu had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Gators. Condon added 11 points, six rebounds and six turnovers.
The Gators trailed 40-35 early in the second half and looked to be in trouble as they couldn’t get any long-range shots to fall. They missed 18 of 21 from 3-point range before Fland got hot.
Fland hit two 3s in a two-minute span, the first being his first of the season and the second bouncing off the side of the rim and the backboard before dropping through the net.
Up next
Florida State hosts UT Martin on Tuesday night.
Florida plays Miami in nearby Jacksonville on Sunday.
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By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
