On-Air Now
On-Air Now
KNBR
9:30 pm - 6:00 am
Listen Live from the Casino Matrix Studio

No. 5 Florida gets its only lead when it counts, edges South Carolina

By

/

Will Richard capped a 22-point showing by hitting the go-ahead layup with five seconds left as fifth-ranked Florida executed down the stretch and rallied for a 70-69 victory over South Carolina on Wednesday night in Columbia, S.C.The Gators (17-2, 4-2 SEC) trailed 58-45 with 8:49 left but outscored the Gamecocks 25-14 the rest of the way. Richard scored 10 points during the game-ending surge and gave the Gators their first lead by going around two defenders for a difficult game-winning layup. after South Carolina’s Zachary Davis split two free throws with 17 seconds left.After Richard’s clutch hoop, the Gators survived when Jacobi Wright missed a 3-point try with one second left.Richard made 9-of-14 shots as Florida shot 42.4 percent. Walter Clayton Jr. added 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field, and Alijah Martin contributed 14 for Florida, which shot 8-of-24 from 3-point range and scored 22 points off South Carolina’s 15 turnovers.Davis scored 18 of his 22 points after halftime for the Gamecocks (10-9, 0-6), whose six-game skid coincides with their entrance to their conference schedule.Collin Murray-Boyles added 14 points, eight assists and three blocks, and Arden Conyers chipped in 10 points as the Gamecocks shot 49.1 percent overall and were 9-of-26 from behind the arc.