No. 14 Florida Gators Surge Toward Repeat Title

Gators dominate Georgia 86-66 as defense and rebounding lead the way

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The No. 14 Florida Gators are starting to resemble the team that won the national championship a year ago, posting another dominant victory by leading from start to finish in an 86-66 beatdown of Georgia on Wednesday night. After a sluggish start that included four losses before Christmas, the Gators have now won nine of their last 10 games, with all but one of those victories coming by double-digit margins.

Why it matters

Florida's strong play down the stretch has them atop the SEC standings, showing they have the potential to repeat as national champions despite their early-season struggles. The Gators' stifling defense and dominant rebounding have been the keys to their recent surge, as they look to prove they are still the team to beat in college basketball.

The details

In the win over Georgia, Florida limited the Bulldogs to just 25-of-72 (34.7%) shooting from the field, while Rueben Chinyelu pulled down 20 rebounds. Offensively, the Gators shot 38.5% from 3-point range after ranking last in the SEC in that category earlier in the season. Guard Xaivian Lee led the way with 18 points, 7 assists and 0 turnovers.

  • Florida lost four games before Christmas, matching their total from their championship season.
  • The Gators have now won 9 of their last 10 games, with all but one victory coming by double-digit margins.
  • Florida's win over Georgia on February 11, 2026 improved their record to 18-6 overall and 9-2 in SEC play.

The players

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators, who has guided the team to a strong finish after their sluggish start to the season.

Rueben Chinyelu

The Florida forward who pulled down 20 rebounds in the win over Georgia.

Xaivian Lee

The Florida guard who led the team with 18 points, 7 assists and 0 turnovers in the victory.

Boogie Fland

The Florida guard who praised the team's "extraordinary" defense in the win.

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What they’re saying

“We stayed the course. We kept working and practicing, and I think over the last month and half, we been playing some really good basketball.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“As we've learned the last couple of weeks from our group, when we guard and rebound, we're pretty tough to beat. Our team is getting to a point where enjoying and kind of owning the identity of being a defensive, gritty, physical, rebounding team.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“We're all locked into what the coaches are asking us to do on defense, and offensively I think we're finding our groove too. We're seeing each other better on the court and, obviously, our size and athleticism seems to wear teams down at the end of games.”

— Xaivian Lee, Guard

“We're adjusting when teams make their runs. We're doing everything we need to do to make possessions long and lengthy, making it tough on them. If they make tough 2s, we'll live with that.”

— Boogie Fland, Guard

What’s next

The Gators will look to continue their strong play as they push for another SEC regular season title and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Florida's defensive intensity, rebounding prowess, and balanced scoring attack have them primed for a potential repeat championship run after a sluggish start to the season. If the Gators can maintain this level of play, they will be a formidable opponent for any team in the country.