Denzel Aberdeen received 13 of his career high 22 points after half time Saturday night in Gainesville, Florida, when No. 3 Florida retired for a victory 88-67 over South Carolina, which remains Winless in Southeastern Conference Play.
After matching his career high at 20 in No. 22 Mississippi State on Tuesday, when he started instead of Alijah Martin, Aberdeen made 8 out of 12 shots to help Florida (22-3, 9-3 sec) win its fourth Straight victory. Martin returned Saturday after missing two matches due to a hip pointer and Aberdeen ended with his third career 20-point game.
Thomas Haugh added a career pile of 20 points in his third career start when he replaced Alex Condon (ankle), who will miss one to two weeks after injuring his ankle 30 seconds until Tuesday’s victory.
Aberdeen and Valentine combined to shoot 14 out of 22 from the field and hit eight 3 points. Gators shot a fresh 60.4 percent and hit 14 three, marked the fourth straight time they have hit at least 10 triples.
Martin added 11 points in his return from injury. Walter Clayton Jr. Contributed 10 and had eight of Florida’s 24 assists while Rueben Chinyelu also finished with 10 points.
South Carolina (10-15, 0-12) faded after a quick start. Gamecocks made 12 of their first 17 shots and shot 44 percent (22 out of 50) for the game.
Jacobi Wright led South Carolina with 13 points, while Nick Pringle and Collin Murray-Boyles added 12.
Florida made her first six shots and competed for a 15-6 lead on Aberdeen’s second 3 with 15:27 left. South Carolina weather out the early deficit and ripped off her own 17-3 driving for a 23-18 lead on a can of Murray-Boyles with 10:46.
GameCocks had a lead of 29-28 on a basket of Wright with 8:04 left, but missed his last five shots of half and committed six sales when Florida had a lead of 37-33 at half time. Florida opened a 10-point lead less than two minutes into the other when Haugh dropped a 3 from the top of the key and then took a lead of 49-34 on Will Richard’s spinning jumper with 16:38 left.
South Carolina’s field painting trained at nine when Morris Ugusuk made a three with 15:44 left, but two 3-points of Aberdeen in 25 seconds extended Florida’s lead to 61-40 with 12:24. Florida continued to pull away and took a trio with 25-point lines to end its latest victory.
-Field level media
