Florida overcomes deficit, beats Mississippi State 81-78
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Dorian Finney-Smith had 20 points and 13 rebounds, KeVaughn Allen added 19 points and Florida beat Mississippi State 81-78 Tuesday night.
John Egbunu chipped in 16 for Florida, including all four of his free throws in the final 2 minutes.
The Gators (12-6, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half and won back-to-back league games for the first time this season.
It was Finney-Smith's fourth double-double in the last five games. Allen, a freshman, topped his season average (11 points) for the sixth time in the last eight outings. Egbunu was even more clutch, scoring six points in the final 3 minutes of a back-and-forth game.
The Bulldogs (7-10, 0-5) lost another close one and fell to 0-5 in league play for the first time since 1986.
I.J. Ready led Mississippi State with 20 points, including 16 in the first half. Craig Sword added 17, including 15 after the break.
