Florida and South Carolina both advanced out of the Sweet 16 on Friday, setting up an All-SEC Elite Eight matchup in the NCAA tournament’s East region.
Florida vs. South Carolina: Time, TV schedule for Elite Eight
After splitting their season series in the SEC, round three between the Gamecocks and Gators will send the winner to the Final Four.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The conference rivals will play for a trip to the Final Four at 2:20 p.m. ET on CBS live from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
No. 7 South Carolina is looking for its first ever trip to college basketball’s biggest stage, while the No. 4 Gators are trying to book their fifth appearance since 2000.
Florida had to knock down one of the shots of the tournament to beat No. 8 Wisconsin in overtime in order to advance to Sunday, but has proven it can handle any style thrown its way. The Gators blew past No. 5 Virginia in the Round of 32 and dismantled Kentucky earlier in the year.
But Florida’s had trouble with this Carolina team recently. Back in January, the Gamecocks took down the Gators 57-53 at home, with Sindarius Thornwell going for 20 points. Defensively, South Carolina stymied Florida’s shooters — only two players scored in double figures and the team shot 0-for-17 from three.
The rematch in Gainesville went the complete opposite way. Florida took a two-point lead into halftime and ran away for a win in the second half. The Gators shot 49 percent from the field (47 percent form 3-point range) en route to an 81-66 win. Thornwell still finished with 23 points, but the Gamecocks couldn’t contain Florida’s shooters for a second time.
A rubber match in the Elite Eight will offer more than bragging rights in the SEC. The winner goes to the Final Four with a chance to shape their program’s legacy.
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