Georgia basketball shocks No. 3 Florida in Athens

White didn’t make it back to the main locker room before his team found him, drenching him with water bottles in the coaches’ locker room after the storming died down.

“I changed into this hoodie, and I’m a little more comfortable now,” White said, mild-mannered per usual. “Pants are still wet, a little cold. Ready to get home to the pizza.”

It only took Georgia blowing a 26-point lead to kick-start the offense in the final minutes, starting with a Blue Cain 3-pointer. UGA trailed 80-78 with a minute left when Cain nailed Georgia’s first shot in over four minutes.

“Silas (Demary Jr.) had done a great job at drawing two (defenders) all night,” Cain said. “When he drew two, I knew I would be open, and it felt good coming out of my hand, but I was just happy it went in.”

Cain came in cold off the bench for the play, and nearly wasn’t called on at all, according to White.

“It’s just pretty unique that you’re sitting there for a while on the bench watching the game, and to go right back into the game into a huge shot like that, it’s unique,” White said. “I was worried he was a little stiff because there was some conversation among our staff: ‘Do we put Blue in? Do we not put Blue in?’”

Asa Newell swatted an alley-oop attempt on the next Gator possession, RJ Godfrey was fouled on the rebound, and the Clemson transfer made two free throws for an 83-80 lead.

Newell and Demary sank two more free throws each to seal the win as Stegeman erupted.

White left Gainesville -- to the pleasure of many Gator fans -- to take over at Georgia in March of 2022. Tuesday was White’s first win over the Gators after six straight losses, including an 89-59 defeat in Gainesville earlier this season.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

The Bulldogs shocked the country and took a massive step toward their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015. UGA likely needs a couple more wins to secure a spot, but an upset of a projected No. 1 seed is nothing to overlook.

Georgia also earned its fourth ranked win this season, adding to defeats of Kentucky, Oklahoma and St. John’s.

UGA’s packed student section got involved immediately after a scorching start from the Bulldogs. UGA made 11 of its first 14 shots, building a 29-10 lead in the first eight minutes.

The lead got as high as 39-13 before the Gators (24-4, 11-4) finally found their footing. Senior guard Will Richard sparked a 10-2 Florida run with a dunk, two 3-pointers and a free throw in 90 seconds of action.

The Gators whittled the lead down to 16 points by the break, but Georgia finished the half strong with 68% shooting and a 19-13 rebounding advantage.

Richard, who finished with an eye-popping 30-point night, kept biting into the Bulldogs lead throughout the half. Richard coupled contested 3-pointers with physical finishes in the paint to power the Gators to their first lead of the night.

Top-scorers Newell and Demary silenced the strong showing of Florida fans from the start. Newell threw down a dunk on the opening possession, followed by a strong layup and a midrange jumper from Demary.

Demary led the Bulldogs with 21 points and six rebounds. Not known for his 3-point shooting, Demary’s marksmanship was crucial to the Bulldogs’ red-hot start.

The sophomore sank a trio of 3-pointers in the first half to build the massive lead. Demary made another from deep in the second half, finishing 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

Newell added 15 points and nine boards of his own, challenging Florida’s towering lineup in the paint. The Gators entered Athens averaging over 42 rebounds per game.

Florida had just 34 Tuesday night.

Tyrin Lawrence excelled in his first game back from injury. The Vanderbilt transfer hurt his hamstring and missed four games before tying a SEC season-high 14 points Tuesday night.

Georgia will look to add to its closing NCAA Tournament argument with a win at Texas Saturday at 8 p.m.

1 / 31

Georgia center Somto Cyril (6) celebrates with forward Asa Newell after Georgia beat Florida during an NCAA college basketball game at Stegeman Coliseum, Tuesday, February 25, 2025, in Athens. Georgia’s electric home crowd stormed Stegeman Coliseum at the final buzzer of a 88-83 upset of No. 3 Florida Tuesday night. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)