The Gators dropped their third SEC game of the season on Saturday, losing to Mississippi State in Starkville by the score of 72-69.
The Gators had a rough game in the paint, as Mississippi State scored 52 of their 72 points in that department. The Bulldogs also outrebounded UF by a margin of 21.
Redshirt-sophomore Tolu Smith had a career game against the Gators. The former Western Kentucky transfer had a double-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. He was 11-of-13 from the floor and made 5-of-10 free throws as well.
"I mean we knew coming into the game, just like last game, a physical team just like the team before," UF's Colin Castleton said after the game. "Basically, this league is going to be physical and we have to know that, we have to understand that and we have to just come in together as a team, rebound together, box out and just play more physical.
"That's all it comes down to, so we knew that coming in but just didn't get the job done."
As for the Gators, one of their players had a career game on Saturday in former Cleveland State transfer, Tyree Appleby. The redshirt-junior point guard led the team in scoring with 20 points, which is his career high in a Gators uniform. He also went 11-of-11 from the free throw line and registered two rebounds and two assists.
Former Michigan transfer Colin Castleton continues to play well for the Gators. He dropped 16 points and racked up seven rebounds and six blocks as well.
Castleton is the first SEC player with back-to-back games of six blocks or more since LSU's Jordan Mickey in 2015.
The 6-foot-11 big man did most of his work in the first half but still contributed on both sides in the second half. He had an injury scare midway in the second half but wasn’t out for long, as he played the final minutes of the game.
"Yeah, I'm good," Castleton said after the game. "I just rolled it a little bit. Just taped it up, had to get back in the action."
Florida falls to 6-4 after the loss with a 3-3 record in the SEC. Mississippi State improves its record to 9-5 and is 4-2 in SEC play.
"I thought we bypassed some open shooters off of pick-and-roll reads, off spread pick-and-roll reads," said Gators head coach Mike White. "We just weren't real crisp, we took a couple that we probably shouldn't have taken and then we passed up some open ones. We just seemed a little bit rattled offensively and that happens sometimes when you're playing from behind.
"I thought we got off to a really good start and then our flow, our tempo, again, it dictated us playing in the half court more so than we wanted to coming into the game."
Up Next
Matchup: Tennessee at Florida
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
TV: ESPN
Radio: 103.7-FM, AM-850