Todd Golden called out the No. 10 Florida Gators for breaking down in the final minutes of their 84-80 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs in the semifinals of the Rady Children's Invitational on Thursday night.
Going into the matchup, Florida had a 4-1 record on the season. Golden is coming off a remarkable 2024-25 campaign, winning 36 games en route to the national championship. He hopes to keep the success going with a different roster, even with the challenges that will come ahead.
However, he had a big setback when the Gators lost momentum down the stretch as the Horned Frogs completed a rally to stun the defending champs. Golden reflected on the loss safter the game, via 247Sports. He believed the team played well throughout stints but failed to control the game in the second half.
“I thought we did a horrendous job taking care of the basketball. Played well enough at points to get ourselves a 10-point lead with 15 minutes to go, even without playing that well, to be honest. But we were valuing the ball and making good decisions. The last 15 minutes of the game, we did a terrible job that way, and I thought our defense was really poor in the second half giving up 57 percent from the field,” Golden said.
How Todd Golden, Florida performed against TCU
Todd Golden and Florida will have some self-reflecting to do after letting their momentum get away in the loss to TCU.
The Gators had a solid display in the first half, leading 44-39 at the break. However, they suffered multiple defensive breakdowns as they conceded 45 points, seeing the Horned Frogs escape with the win.
Steals, turnovers and fast break points made the difference in this matchup. The Horned Frogs prevailed in all three categories by making 12 steals, limiting their turnovers to just nine, and scoring 23 transition points. It wasn't the same for the Gators as they had five steals, 19 turnovers, and 13 points on the fast break.
Four players scored in double-digits for Florida in the loss. Thomas Haugh led the way with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 7-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Urban Klavzar came next with 20 points off the bench, while Rueben Chinyelu had 13 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Boogie Fland put up 12 points and three steals.
The No. 10 Gators will look to bounce back in their next matchup, the third-place contest of the Rady Children's Invitational. They face the Providence Friars on Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
