GAINESVILLE, FLA. (KFSM) – Arkansas had made a habit of rallying from double digit deficits in SEC play but they couldn’t repeat that feat at No. 12 Florida Wednesday night.
Florida led by as much as 15 points in the first half but the Razorbacks rallied to trim the Gators’ advantage to as little as six but could get no closer as Florida posted a 78-65 win.
The win secures the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament for Florida. Arkansas can be no worse than the number four seed and they own the tie-breaker with South Carolina should the two finish tied for third.
Arkansas made a late push as they cut the Florida lead to 69-61 with 3:45 remaining but the Gators’ Kasey Hill buried a 3-pointer that put the game out of reach.
The Razorbacks were led by Jaylen Barford with 18 points while Moses Kingsley added 17 points and nine rebounds. As a team, Arkansas struggled as it shot just 36 percent while Florida was 29-of-57 (50.9 percent) from the field.
Little Rock native Kevaughn Allen scored seven points in the first seven minutes for Florida and finished with 12 points.