Appleby scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half to help the Florida rally past the No. 2 team in the country. It was the first home victory for Florida against a ranked team.
The Tigers lost their second game in a row on the road and dropped their first game of the season. They lost to Arkansas and Connecticut in overtime.
Appleby had everything to do with this one, as it was Florida's 14th straight over auburn. The senior made 6 of 9 shots in the second half, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and was perfect from the free-throw line.
Appleby was swarmed by students, fans and teammates after the buzzer. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a scene like that happened at the O&Connell Center.
Florida coach Mike White said that he was happy for them, and that they had a chance to have that moment after the game.
The Tigers had a chance in the final seconds. With 7.1 seconds to play, Green Jr. dribbled at the top of the key and tried to pass to Kessler down low, but he missed. The clock ran out after the Gators knocked it away.
Police officers moved the Florida students back into the stands after they poured onto the court to celebrate. It was the first court storming in the city since 1986 when they defeated TCU in the NIT.
White said that it was surprising.
Appleby, who transferred from Cleveland State three years ago, dominated down the stretch, creating open shots for teammates and hitting a huge 3-pointer with about 4 minutes to play and another with 2 minutes remaining that pushed the lead to 61-53.
The projected lottery pick scored 28 points. Walker Kessler and K.D. Johnson each had 11.
Pearl said that his team was best when everyone contributed.
The 13 game losing streak in the O'Connell Center began shortly after Billy Donovan arrived in Florida. The last time the O&Dome was won by auburn was in February 1996.
The team used a solid second half to take control. A 21-4 run in the second half gave the Tigers a nine-point lead. Smith had two 3-pointers, a three-point play, a jumper, two free throws and a blocked shot.
The Gators missed all 10 shots during an 8 minute period in which auburn was closing the gap and building its lead. Florida made seven 3s in the second half, including three in the final 5 minutes, to win.
It feels good. Colin Castleton, who contributed 19 points and eight rebound, said it felt really good.
The next AP college basketball poll will be released on Monday and it's likely that auburn will drop a few spots.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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