Much like they did against North Florida in Jacksonville last week, the No. 2 seed Florida Gators (21-14) controlled the game against the No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (21-14) from tipoff to triple-zeroes.
It was a streaky game for both teams to say the least, but the Gators countered every run the Buckeyes made and managed to pull away late.
Junior point guard Kasey Hill logged another solid performance, totaling 15 points, five assists and a couple of steals, while senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith notched a double-double with 12 rebounds and 16 points — four of which stemming from clutch late-game free throws.