A stunner took place in Athens, as Georgia took down No. 3 Florida basketball in a stunning upset. Fans rushed the court, and it was the first significant upset loss for the Gators. Regardless of the loss, head coach Todd Golden was rather optimistic about his team.
Following the game, Golden had a statement via Nick Marcinko of Gator Country about the loss but dropped a key silver lining.
“Disappointing loss,” Golden said. “Credit to Georgia, I thought they played great in the first half and stepped up to the moment in a game they needed, played that way for the first 20 minutes. We just put ourselves in too big of a hole, obviously, getting down by 26 points 13 minutes into the game is not ideal when you’re trying to win a basketball game. But I am really proud of our guys.
“I thought in that type of adverse situation, we showed a lot of heart, showed a lot of grit to be able to get back to the point where we had a lead with one minute to go in this game is pretty incredible. Weren’t able to make enough plays down the stretch. We needed one more stop and couldn’t get it and fell a little short.”
What was the silver lining for Todd Golden and Florida basketball?
As Golden mentioned, Florida basketball trailed by as many as 26 points within 13 minutes of the game. At that point, it would be easy for any team to give up and surrender. However, the Gators clawed their back into the action. They outscored Georgia 48-37 in the second half, but the deficit was too big to cut.
Still, it was the first loss since the beginning of February. In that game, Florida basketball lost in a brutal SEC showing to Tennessee, where they lost 64-44. Since then, Golden has made sure that his players aren’t being outworked. Even in a shocking loss like this, his players didn’t give up.
The culture has been there since the head coach stepped his foot in the door. For instance, Golden made a brutally honest admission about the Gators’ upset loss to Missouri earlier in the year. Much of what he said then, has since been changed. His team worked hard and fought back the best they could.
Sometimes though, the hole is too deep to claw your way out of. Florida basketball takes on No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 6 Alabama for their next two games. Then, it’s Ole Miss to finish out the season. Once SEC tournament play begins, many will see if Golden’s silver lining will be on display.
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