Swamped in the Second Half

Sixth-ranked Gators pull away from Vanderbilt in final 10 minutes

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Urban Klavźar made back-to-back 3-pointers in a 34-second stretch midway through the second half to give No. 6 Florida the separation it needed before holding off Vanderbilt for an 86-75 SEC men’s basketball victory Tuesday at Exactech Arena.

After an MJ Collins Jr. basket drew the Commodores (16-6, 4-5 SEC) within three, Klavźar scored on consecutive possessions to spark an 8-0 run that gave the Gators (19-3, 6-3 SEC) a 65-54 advantage with just under eight minutes left in the contest.

Jason Edwards paced Vandy with 20 points, the seventh time this season he’s scored 20 or more in a game. Jaylen Carey finished with a season-best 15 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes, and Devin McGlockton added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Collins Jr. chipped in with 11 points and four rebounds, while Tyler Nickel pulled down five rebounds as well for the Dores.

Will Richard led Florida with 21 points, adding seven rebounds, with Alex Condon contributing 19 points and nine rebounds as well. Denzel Aberdeen gave the Gators three individuals in double figures scoring after posting 13 points.

The first half featured eight ties and seven lead changes, with that total reaching 11 and 12, respectively, before Florida pulled away. The Gators shot 57 percent from the field overall—including making 10-of-21 attempts from 3-point range—and were credited with 20 assists on their 31 field goals.

Vandy connected on 51 percent from the field, making six 3-pointers, but were outrebounded by Florida 35-29.

The Commodores return home Saturday to play host to Texas, with tipoff on SEC Network scheduled for noon.