NCAA
Florida 75, Mississippi 71
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
OXFORD, Miss — Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin finished with 18 points and seven assists, lifting No. 2 Florida to a 75-71 victory over Mississippi at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Sophomore guard Michael Frazier added 17 points for the Gators (25-2, 14-0 in the SEC), who posted their 19th straight win.
Marshall Henderson led Ole Miss (16-11, 7-7 SEC) with 22 points, all 22 in the first half. Henderson went 0-of-6 from the field in the second half. Jarvis Summers added 20 points for the Rebels.
Florida broke a 59-59 tie with 5:58 remaining, taking control of the game with a 7-0 run, and never trailed the rest of the way.
With Florida making five of its first seven 3-point shots, the Gators jumped to a 34-24 first half lead.
But, behind Henderson, Ole Miss rallied. Two challenged 3-pointers by Henderson and one by Jarvis Summers sparked a 9-0 run that cut Florida’s lead to 34-33.
Ole Miss climbed to a 36-35 lead on a driving basket from forward Aaron Jones, but Wilbekin answered with a 3-pointer to put Florida back up, 38-36.
Henderson scored the next four points for Ole Miss, including a fall-away baseline jumper that tied the score, 40-40.
A baseline drive by forward Martavious Newby put Ole Miss up, 42-40, but Wilbekin was fouled on a drive and made two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to tie the score, 42-42, at halftime.
The Gators shot 51.9 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from 3-point range in the first half, while Ole Miss shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 46.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Gators battled foul trouble throughout the half, with senior center Patric Young, senior forward Will Yeguete and Frazier each picking up two fouls.
NOTES: Florida freshman point guard Kasey Hill sat out his second straight game because of a groin strain. … It was the sixth straight game that the Gators have been either tied to trailing at halftime. … Marshall Henderson made a 3-pointer in his 60th straight game, tying Pat Bradley for an SEC record.
