Florida

Five key takeaways from Florida’s 1-point loss to Duke

Published

5 months ago

December 3, 2025

Five key takeaways from Florida’s 1-point loss to Duke

No. 15 Florida lost a tight game against No. 4 Duke, 67-66, on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Gators were the better team for all but eight minutes of the game, but a 19-5 run from the Blue Devils to close the second half proved to be the difference. Once again, poor shooting doomed the Orange and Blue. Florida shot just 37.3% from the field and 25% from 3-point range.

Thomas Haugh did all he could to win, with 24 points, six rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. It wasn’t enough. Cameron Boozer, who looked every bit the best player in the country, matched Haugh and then some. Boozer finished with 29 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal.

A strong second half made things close. Boogie Fland and Alex Condon got going, offensive rebounds led to second-chance opportunities for Florida and strong defense forced more misses from Duke. The Gators took a two-point lead with 32 seconds left, but Duke returned the favor on a broken play. Urban Klavzar hadn’t left Isaiah Evans for most of the second half, but the last-minute scramble led to an open look.

Still, Florida proved that it’s still worthy of a top 10 ranking and that it can hang with the best teams in the country. It’s a work in progress, even if 5-3 looks ugly in the standings.

Someone has to help Haugh

Florida couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half, unless Thomas Haugh was shooting. Haugh played all 20 minutes before the break and scored or assisted on 19 of Florida’s 24 points. Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee went a combined 1-of-11 from the field, and the only make was a lucky roll off the back of the rim. In fact, if you take away Haugh’s shooting, the team went 4-of-26 from the field in the first half. Ugly.

Haugh can only do it by himself for so long. Eventually, Duke figured out that he was the only threat and all of Florida’s plays were designed to get Haugh driving to his right. Considering the poor shooting, it’s a miracle that Florida kept the game knotted at 19 through the first 12 minutes. The next eight minutes were all Duke. The Blue Devils went on a 19-5 run, leading by 12 at the break.

Florida should have won this game

Several little things buried Florida. Besides the forced 3-pointers, Condon was called on a lane violation to nullify a missed free throw from Cameron Boozer, and a blatant no-call on Duke goaltending was the difference on the scoreboard.

Coaches and players who point to referee errors are often labeled whiners, but sometimes it’s warranted. The ball hit the backboard and was then blocked. A year ago, a timeout gets called and the play is reviewed. The exact butterfly effect isn’t worth going into, but in a one-point loss, that moment looms large.

Of course, a better end to the first half from Florida makes all of this a non-issue.

Too little, too late from Boogie Fland

Fland was Florida’s leading scorer in the second half. Part of that is Duke adjusting at halftime to slow down Haugh, but he also seemed to find an offensive rhythm that hasn’t been present all season. He finished the day just under 50% shooting and had three steals. Four turnovers ot one assist isn’t great, but he had just one and one in the second half.

The change came once Fland stopped forcing 3-pointers. He came around screens quickly and found plenty of buckets inside the arc. For Florida to be successful, Fland must play that brand of basketball.

It’s an encouraging sign to see Fland figure it out, but it came way too late. Again, this could have been a multi-possession victory for Florida had the first half gone even a bit better.

Xaivian Lee does his Jekyll and Hyde routine

All the confidence Xaivian Lee built up in the second half against Providence might be gone. A 1-for-10 night with just one assist is not what starting point guards in the SEC do. Lee said he “was in a dark place” before that breakout game. He mustn’t return to the shadow realm.

The saying goes: play with emotion, not emotion. Lee can’t lose his “joy” every time the shots don’t fall. He was nearly a non-factor in this game, and there’s a reason Golden played Klavzar 15 minutes to Lee’s 10 in the second half. A bench role still feels right for Lee, at least until he gets his head on straight.

No shade. Adjusting to this pace is hard. But it’s what he came here to do.

Florida can win a national championship

Gator Nation is going to leave this one with a bad taste in their mouths, and rightfully so. But so-called moral victories will turn into real victories if this team continues to get better, as it has through the first month of the season.

Losing in November and December doesn’t matter if you don’t lose in March. Forget about TCU for a moment. Arizona and Duke are potential Final Four teams with elite freshman big men. The first thing Boozer said after the game was how good Florida’s frontcourt is.

It’s the backcourt that needs work, and they are improving. Back-to-back breakout games from transfers show what the Gators are capable of. If Fland plays like that for the whole game, or Lee doesn’t fall back into a slump, it’s a Florida win.

Todd Golden’s job is to get these guys firing on all cylinders before the NCAA Tournament. Seeding doesn’t matter. UConn is Florida’s last chance on the non-conference schedule to add a meaningful win. That complete team performance has to come next Tuesday.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

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Florida

Joel H. Sharp, Jr. Obituary

Published

5 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Joel H. Sharp, Jr., a devoted husband, father, grandfather, distinguished attorney, and cherished member of the Orlando community, passed away peacefully at his home in Windermere, Florida, on April 11, 2026. He was 90 years old.
Joel was…

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Florida

Newly appointed Florida Panthers President of Business Operations excited organization’s future

Published

17 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Newly appointed Florida Panthers President of Business Operations excited organization’s future

SUNRISE, Fla. — The new Florida Panthers President of Business Operations, Mike White, is settling into his role with the organization.

“This is a winning culture. It’s not coming in where we have to fix certain things — it’s more about amplifying those experiences that have already been created,” White said.

Before the Florida Panthers’ final game of the season, White spoke with WPTV Anchor and Panthers 360 host Mike Trim.

WATCH:

Newly appointed Florida Panthers President of Business Operations excited organization’s future

White was named to his position on March 31.

Trim asked White about his top priorities in his new role.

“There are two lenses by which you look at things. One is the advocacy of the fan — the fan is at the center,” White said. “We want to create a really great experience and a really great product for the fan to enjoy. The second is in support of hockey and hockey operations.”

White said he’s been busy in his first two weeks on the job.

Most recently, White served as Chief Product Officer at Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company. He also worked for 11 years with the Walt Disney Company in several senior leadership roles.

The Florida Panthers beat the Detroit Red Wings 8-1 in their season finale.

WPTV

As the Florida Panthers chase a third Stanley Cup championship this season, WPTV is along for the ride!

We will be highlighting the team with our new show on South Florida’s 9 called “Panthers 360”.

Hosted by WPTV anchor Mike Trim, watch the show each Wednesday evening and also streaming at 7:30 p.m.

We will take an in-depth look at the season, break down film and connect with the players and special stories off the ice.

Every Monday at 12:15 p.m. on the WPTV YouTube page, Trim will be joined by different analysts to discuss the latest on the team. We want to hear your thoughts, so post your questions and comments while the live interview takes place!

South Florida’s 9 is your home for Panthers hockey all season long!

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Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Fantasy 5 results for April 15, 2026

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Fantasy 5 results for April 15, 2026

The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots.

Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Winning Powerball numbers from April 15 drawing

13-21-27-43-45, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 15 drawing

08-11-41-44-53, Powerball: 03

Winning Florida Lotto numbers from April 15 drawing

05-27-36-43-45-46

Check Florida Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto Double Play numbers from April 15 drawing

13-14-25-46-49-51

Check Lotto Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 01-05-20-26-36

Evening: 04-15-17-19-25

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 15 drawing

Morning: 03

Matinee: 07

Afternoon: 08

Evening: 03

Late Night: 08

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

Winning Pick 2 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 6-7, FB: 4

Evening: 2-4, FB: 9

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 2-9-3, FB: 4

Evening: 0-8-8, FB: 9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 5-7-5-8, FB: 4

Evening: 9-5-5-6, FB: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 7-5-5-3-5, FB: 4

Evening: 8-3-0-0-1, FB: 9

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.

You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.

Florida law requires public disclosure of winners

If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:

Full name
City of residence
Game won
Date won
Amount won
Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.

When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.

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