Florida fights off Auburn comeback, dominates No. 1 Tigers in road upset

For the second time this year, Florida knocked off the No. 1 team in the country. This time, though, it happened on the road – and against Todd Golden’s former boss.

The Gators went into The Jungle and dominated Auburn 90-81 to pull off the road upset. Although the Tigers got within single digits in the second half, Florida was able to respond and continue its quest for an upset in the hostile environment.

UF led by as many as 21 points in the second half before Auburn mounted its comeback. The Tigers got the deficit to nine points with 7:58 to go and again got to single digits in the final minute. But the Gators never looked back, securing the program’s first ever road win over an AP No. 1 team.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge for Florida with 19 points to go with nine assists. He was one of five players to reach double figures for Golden’s group, with Alex Condon coming in right behind him with 17 points and 10 rebounds as part of his fifth double-double of the season. Thomas Haugh also had 16 points and nine rebounds.

As a group, Florida was especially hot from three-point territory. The Gators went 13-for-32 from downtown in the effort, led by a 4-for-8 showing from Clayton.

On the Auburn side, the Tigers found themselves trailing by 10 points at halftime and that deficit doubled early in the second half. Although they were able to claw their way back and start making it close, they couldn’t sustain it due to multiple missed opportunities and struggles at the free throw line.

Miles Kelly led Auburn with 19 points while Johni Broome added 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. It marks just Auburn’s second loss on the year after previously falling to Duke earlier in the season. It’s also the Tigers’ first loss in SEC play this season.

For Golden, it’s quite the full-circle moment. He served as an assistant coach on The Plains under Bruce Pearl from 2014-16, and the two remain close. In fact, Golden considers Stephen Pearl his best friend, ESPN’s Jess Sims said on Saturday’s broadcast. Stephen Pearl says the same thing about Golden.

Florida now improves to 20-3 overall and 7-3 in SEC play. The Gators will look to carry the momentum into Tuesday’s game, which will be another road tilt at Mississippi State. Auburn, meanwhile, will get ready for Tuesday’s matchup in Nashville against Vanderbilt – which is coming off a big win of its own.