GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Colin Castleton had 16 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, and Florida rallied from 11 down to upend No. 20 Missouri 73-64 on Saturday.
Castleton chipped in six assists, three steals and two blocks as the Gators (10-7, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) won their third consecutive game. He made 7 of 11 shots and finished with five offensive boards.
Missouri (13-4, 2-3) lost its third in a row on the road, this one mostly because it had no answer for Castleton inside. Even when the Tigers double-teamed the 6-foot-11 senior forward, he managed to find a shooter or cutter. His best one may have been when he delivered a bounce pass to Alex Fudge for a dunk with a little more than four minutes to play.
Will Richard added 18 points thanks mostly to four 3-pointers for Florida, and Riley Kugel chipped in 13 points and five rebounds. The Gators hit 10 of 23 from 3-point range, including 6 of 13 in the second half.
Missouri scored the first 11 points of the game and looked like it might cruise. But Florida settled down, turned up its defense and tied it up at halftime despite 14 turnovers.
Kobe Brown led the Tigers with 21 points. Noah Carter added 12, and Tre Gomillion chipped in 11. Gomillion tweaked his left ankle in the final minutes when Richard landed on him while collecting a rebound, but Gomillion stayed in the game.
BIG PICTURE
Missouri: The Tigers fell to 0-3 on the road in conference play, hardly a concerning trend given they played at Arkansas, Texas A&M and Florida. The road slate gets a little easier for Mizzou moving forward, with games at Ole Miss and at Mississippi State upcoming.
Florida: Gators coach Todd Golden shortened his bench against Missouri, using just eight guys after forward CJ Felder left the team earlier in the week for personal reasons. Point guard Trey Bonham played just eight minutes, and backup center Jason Jitoboh didn’t get in the game.
UP NEXT
Missouri returns home for two straight, beginning with a rematch against No. 15 Arkansas on Wednesday night.
Florida plays at Texas A&M on Wednesday. The Aggies beat the Gators two weeks earlier in Gainesville.
