WATCH: Florida Gators’ Anthony Duruji Leaves Missouri Tigers’ Defense in Tatters With Outrageous Poster

Published 03/04/2021, 12:00 PM EST

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All good things come to an end, and today, it was the Florida Gators’ winning streak that saw its end. After beating Georgia, Auburn, and Kentucky in a row, they fell to Missouri last night in a close two-point game.

Despite the loss, Gators’ junior forward Anthony Duruji stole the highlight of the game with an emphatic dunk. After getting around two defenders, Tyree Applebee faced another defender right before he could make the layup.

So he slid a quick pass to Duruji, who came charging in. He showed off his athleticism as he dunked all over the defender.

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That was Duruji’s only field goal throughout the game, after going 1-3 from the field. But he was a pillar on defense for the Gators, grabbing 11 rebounds, a block, and a steal.

Florida Gators lose composure and lose the game

With the scores tied at 70-70, the Missouri Tigers had the ball for the final possession. The Gators needed a stop to take the game to overtime or find a winner of their own in the remaining time. But they failed.

With five seconds left, Tigers’ Dru Smith drove into the paint and made an incredible reverse layup. It is always a tough shot to make in traffic, but to do so with the game on the line was unbelievable.

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Gators’ Tre Mann did everything right on offense but was unable to stop Smith on this play. Duruji and Colin Castleton also came in to help, but the finish was too smooth for them to come close to blocking it.

Despite their 41-point second half, this defensive lapse in the final seconds cost them the game.

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Can the Gators finish their season with a win?

After a three-day rest, the Gators return to action on Sunday. They face the Tennessee Volunteers on the road, in their final game of the regular season. The Volunteers stood sixth in the AP Poll in January and comfortably looked like one of the best teams in the country. Ironically, it was the Gators who broke their momentum, and from there began the Volunteers’ downfall.

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The Gators will aim to repeat their performances from that previous encounter and come away with a win to end their season on a high. It will be a tough game and the Volunteers will be keen on revenge, so the Gators cannot take it lightly.

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Written by:

Aaron Mathew

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Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
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