Guard PJ Henry scored 16 points, backup guard Joirdan Karl Nicholas hit all seven of his field goals and the previously winless Texas Southern beat No. 20 Florida in every facet on the way to a huge 69-54 upset at Exactech Arena.
Texas Southern came into the game with an 0-7 record, without having played a home game this season and coming off a 27-point loss at Louisiana Tech.
Monday marked the fourth-ever win by Texas Southern over a ranked opponent and the first since 2018.
TSU out-rebounded and thoroughly outplayed UF from the opening tip and led for nearly the final 30 minutes of the game. The Tigers shot 54.4 percent from the floor, grabbed 46 rebounds (to the Gators’ 23), including 14 on the offensive end that led to 17 second-chance points.
Florida, which got 15 points from Brandon McKissic, shot just 39.3 percent for the game and made only five of 24 attempts from the 3-point line (20.8 percent).
The Tigers used a stretch when they made seven of eight from the floor midway through the first to begin to get into a rhythm against a UF defense that came in ranked 13th nationally in overall efficiency.
Their lead was just three inside two minutes to go when guard Jordan Gilliam hit a 3-pointer in transition and Henry hit the last two buckets of the period, including a pull-up jumper with one second left to head to the locker room up 35-25.
They not only shot 57 percent through the first 20 minutes, but doubled the Gators on the glass, 22-11, and more than doubled them in paint points (22-10), all of it setting the tone.
Courtesy: Florida Athletics
