South Carolina Basketball Faces Tough Test Against No. 12 Florida

Gamecocks look to snap six-game losing streak against surging Gators

Feb. 19, 2026 at 10:55am

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The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team travels to Gainesville to take on the 12th-ranked Florida Gators. The Gamecocks are looking to end a six-game losing streak, while the Gators have won 10 of their last 11 games and boast one of the best frontcourts in the country.

Why it matters

This is an important SEC matchup as both teams look to position themselves for postseason play. South Carolina is hoping to pull off an upset on the road against a ranked opponent, while Florida is aiming to continue its strong conference play.

The details

In the first matchup this season, Florida dominated South Carolina 95-48. The Gators shot over 62% from the field, over 42% from three, and over 71% from the free-throw line. South Carolina struggled mightily, shooting just 25.86% from inside the arc, 15% from three, and 88.24% from the free-throw line. Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson has been a bright spot, averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season.

  • The game tips off at 7:00 pm ET on February 17, 2026.
  • This is the second meeting between the two teams this season.

The players

Lamont Paris

The head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team.

Meechie Johnson

A guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks who is averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season.

Mike White

The head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team.

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The takeaway

This game will be a tough test for the struggling Gamecocks, as they face a surging Florida team that has been dominant on both ends of the floor. South Carolina will need a big performance from Meechie Johnson and the rest of the team to have a chance at pulling off the upset on the road.