Florida Gators Dominate Mississippi State to Claim SEC Championship

The fifth-ranked Florida Gators captured their first SEC regular season title since 2014 with a commanding 108-74 victory over Mississippi State. Alex Condon led the way with 26 points as the Gators extended their winning streak to 10 games.

The University of Florida basketball team secured their first Southeastern Conference regular season championship in a decade, overwhelming Mississippi State 108-74 on Tuesday night in Gainesville.

Center Alex Condon delivered his best performance of the year, pouring in 26 points while pulling down seven rebounds to lead the fifth-ranked Gators to victory. The win marked Florida’s 10th consecutive triumph and improved their record to 24-6 overall and 15-2 in SEC play.

Despite missing their top scorer Thomas Haugh, the Gators dominated from start to finish in their final home game of the regular season. Florida built a double-digit advantage by intermission and continued to pull away throughout the second half.

Xaivian Lee contributed significantly with 19 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals before fouling out late in the contest. Rueben Chinyelu recorded his 18th double-double of the campaign with 11 points and 16 rebounds, matching the university record for double-doubles in a single season.

The Bulldogs, who fell to 13-17 overall and 5-12 in conference action, received 21 points and five assists from Josh Hubbard but suffered their seventh defeat in nine outings.

In other Top 25 action, UCLA stunned ninth-ranked Nebraska 72-52 in Los Angeles, with Trent Perry scoring 20 points for the Bruins. The victory marked UCLA’s third home win against a Top 10 opponent this season, finishing with an impressive 16-1 record at Pauley Pavilion.

TCU upset 10th-ranked Texas Tech 73-65 in Lubbock, as Xavier Edmonds registered his 10th double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Horned Frogs controlled the glass with a 39-25 rebounding advantage.

Eleventh-ranked Illinois bounced back from recent struggles, routing Oregon 80-54 behind Andrej Stojakovic’s 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Fighting Illini ended a two-game skid with the dominant home performance.

Virginia maintained its stronghold on the ACC, defeating Wake Forest 75-70 to clinch the conference’s No. 2 seed for next week’s tournament. The 13th-ranked Cavaliers improved to 26-4 overall and secured a double bye in Charlotte.

Arizona State shocked 14th-ranked Kansas 70-60, with Maurice Odum connecting on five three-pointers for 23 points. The Sun Devils never trailed while improving to a perfect 5-0 all-time at home against the Jayhawks.

Georgia ended Alabama’s eight-game winning streak with a 98-88 victory, powered by Kanon Catchings’ career-high 32 points on seven three-pointers. The performance helped the Bulldogs knock off the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide in Athens.

North Carolina completed a perfect home season, defeating Clemson 67-63 for an 18-0 record at the Dean E. Smith Center. Luka Bogavac scored a career-high 20 points, including three crucial three-pointers in the final seven minutes.

St. John’s overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to beat Georgetown 72-69, with Zuby Ejiofor leading the way with 23 points. The Red Storm extended their winning streak against the Hoyas to 11 games.

Miami of Ohio remained the nation’s only undefeated team, surviving a scare from Toledo 74-72 to improve to 30-0. Peter Suder scored 19 points as the RedHawks maintained their perfect record despite 15 turnovers.

Tennessee handled South Carolina 78-59, with J.P. Estrella shooting an efficient 10-for-13 from the field for 22 points. The Volunteers won their sixth game in seven tries at South Carolina.

Vanderbilt needed overtime to defeat Ole Miss 89-86, as Tyler Tanner exploded for 34 points with seven assists and five steals. The Commodores improved to 23-7 with the road victory in Oxford.