Alabama walked into Gainesville on Sunday with something to prove. Instead, they walked out with more questions than answers after a 100-77 loss to a Florida team that dominated the game from start to finish.
There’s no way around it - the Gators were the better team. They controlled the tempo, owned the paint, and made Alabama pay for every defensive lapse.
The Crimson Tide have prided themselves on toughness and tempo under Nate Oats, but they struggled to match Florida’s physicality, especially inside. The Gators scored a staggering 72 points in the paint - a number that not only highlights their offensive execution but also exposes Alabama’s interior defense, which simply couldn’t hold up.
What added a little extra edge to the postgame chatter was Florida head coach Todd Golden’s response to a comment made earlier in the week by Oats. Oats had suggested that Florida’s big men tend to linger in the paint a little too long - a subtle nudge at the three-second rule. Golden clearly took notice.
After the game, Golden didn’t just acknowledge the win - he leaned into the moment.
“To come out and impose our will the way we did and beat them on the glass. We scored 72 points in the paint,” Golden said.
“I thought our guys were in there for one second, two seconds, then we scored, so taking advantage of our catches down there. The bigs were really, really good today.”
That’s not just a stat recap - that’s a calculated clapback. Golden’s message was clear: Florida heard the noise, and they responded with their play.
And to be fair, he’s got a point. Florida’s bigs didn’t just camp in the paint - they lived there, dominated there, and turned it into their personal highlight reel. Whether it was sealing off defenders for easy buckets or crashing the offensive glass, Florida’s frontcourt made a statement.
For Alabama, the loss comes at a tough time. They’ve been trying to find their footing with Charles Bediako back in the lineup, but the chemistry still isn’t quite there.
Combine that with their recent slide out of the AP Top 25, and this performance only adds to the urgency. If the Tide want to make a serious push toward March, they’ll need to tighten up their interior defense and rediscover the defensive edge that’s been a hallmark of Oats’ best teams.
Florida, meanwhile, just picked up a signature win - and did it with a little swagger. They’ve had their ups and downs this season, but this kind of performance - especially the physical dominance in the paint - shows what they’re capable of when everything clicks.
There’s still a lot of basketball left, and both teams have time to adjust. But Sunday’s game wasn’t just about the scoreboard - it was about a Florida team that responded to a challenge, took control of the paint, and made a loud statement in the process.