GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – UPDATE, 1/25/24: The Florida Gators are now on a two-game winning streak in league play beating Mississippi State’s Bulldogs 79 to 70.
UP NEXT: Florida (13-6, 3-3) is back at home Saturday against Georgia (14-5, 4-2). Tipoff at noon.
PREVIOUSLY, 1/24/24: The Gators are back at home to host Mississippi State University (MSU) after a road game in Missouri.
Florida is coming off a strong win over Mizzou Saturday, with their first road victory of the season, advancing their Southeastern Conference (SEC) record to 2-3. The Bulldogs are just ranked one spot above the Gators, holding the ninth spot for the SEC.
On Saturday, MSU ended their two-game losing streak with a strong 68-55 win over Vanderbilt. However, according to ESPN, Mississippi State hasn’t won on the road the entire season.
According to the SEC, the last time the two faced off was on March 9, 2023, in the SEC tournament where the Gators lost 68-69 in overtime. During the regular season last year, the Gators also went to Starkville and defeated them 61-59 on January 21, 2023.
Overall, the Gators lead the all-time record 66-53, winning 39 of those at home. According to Florida’s program, they’ve only lost to the Bulldogs 13 times total at home.
UF has performed significantly better in their territory winning 7 out of 8 of their home games this season. The Gators are 1-3 on the road but proved themselves with one of their top performances at Mizzou shooting almost 45 percent for the game and nearly 41 percent from the arc.
Sophomore center Micah Handlogten shared in a news conference Tuesday that he also felt like it was one of his team’s best games and says their preparation played a huge role. According to Florida’s program, Handlogten recorded his second double-double against Mizzou with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
He also shared that he looks forward to playing at home and says the atmosphere plays a huge role in his game.
“I’ve always been a player that plays off of all the momentum and energy in the building,” said Handlogten.
Florida head coach Todd Golden also commented on Handlogten’s game in the news conference Tuesday.
“I thought he did a great job… when he plays like that, he gives us another element that we can kind of rally around,” said Golden.
Handlogten’s talent will be needed as they face MSU, a team that has some significant talent and toughness. According to Florida’s program, Mississippi State is the only team in the SEC who has defeated Tennessee, a team who has dominated their competition in conference play so far.
“When they beat Tennessee, they just beat ’em. They’re physical. You know they’re a team that can match our physicality,” added Golden.
The Gators will be looking to defend their territory and advance their conference record to 3-3 and they’ll need your support. If your Wednesday isn’t too busy, head over to the O’ Connell Center to cheer them on. You can grab your tickets here. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m.