Just imagine how good the Florida men's basketball team could be if it could find backcourt consistency.

For now, the Gators and head coach Todd Golden will have to take solace in the fact they fought back from a 15-point first-half deficit and came close to knocking off Duke, the No. 4 team in the nation, Tuesday night at the Blue Devils' iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Gators' potential to defend their national title was on display in their 67-66 loss to Duke. In one of the most hostile environments a visiting team can face, Florida clawed back into the game and led 66-64 with under a minute to play.

"By far, it was our best effort of the year," Golden said. "We competed the best we have all year tonight and I thought we stayed together really well in obviously a very tough venue to play in. We played an incredible second half to outscore them by 11 on their home floor."

But if the Gators' backcourt had shot something less than miserable in the first half, there never would have been the late drama. In what has been a recurring issue for No.  15 Florida (5-3) this season, guards Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar were nowhere close to what is needed to contend with teams like Duke.

The Gator guard trio were a combined 2-of-17 shooting from the floor in the first 20 minutes of Tuesday's ACC/SEC Challenge game, and they only made two of 11 three-point attempts in that time.

To his credit, Fland had a much better second half, where he scored 13 of his 16 points. He even hit the three pointer that put Florida ahead and silenced the Cameron Crazies, Duke's famous student section, with 35 seconds to go.

But then Florida allowed Duke's Isaiah Evans to drain an uncontested three-pointer -- his only three of the night on eight attempts -- to put the Blue Devils up 67-66 with 21 seconds to go. And on the Gators' ensuing possession, Fland dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds for one of Florida's 14 turnovers in the contest.

Florida's frontcourt, all juniors, had another solid performance. Six-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh scored a team-high 24 points, 6-10 center Rueben Chinyelu pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds and 6-11 center/forward Alex Condon had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite that effort by the Gator big men and a gritty second-half showing against one the premier programs in the country, Florida must improve its guard play if they want to be in the conversation for teams that can be a national title contender in March. Lee finished 1-of-10 from the floor while Klavzar was 2-of-9.

The Gators head to New York City next Tuesday night to face another top-ranked opponent, No. 5 Connecticut, in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies will certainly be looking to avenge their loss to the Gators in the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C..  

Points: Thomas Haugh, 24

Rebounds: Rueben Chinyelu, 14

Assists: Urban Klavzar, 2

Box Score

All times Eastern

ARIZONA 93, GATORS 87
Record: 0-1

GATORS 104, NORTH FLORIDA 64
Record: 1-1

GATORS 78, FLORIDA STATE 76
Record: 2-1

GATORS 82, MIAMI 68
Record: 3-1

GATORS 80, MERRIMACK 45
Record: 4-1

TCU 84, GATORS 80
Record: 4-2

GATORS 90, PROVIDENCE 78
Record: 5-2

DUKE 67, GATORS 66
Record: 5-3

UCONN
Dec. 9 (Tue) Time: 9 p.m.
@ New York
TV: ESPN

GEORGE WASHINGTON
Dec. 13 (Sat) Time: 2:30 p.m
@ Sunrise, Fla.
TV: ESPN2

ST. FRANCIS
Dec. 17 (Wed) Time: 6:30 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.TV: SEC/ESPN

COLGATE
Dec. 21 (Sun) Time: Noon
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: SEC/ESPN+

DARTMOUTH
Dec. 29 (Mon) Time: 6 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: SEC/ESPN

MISSOURI
Jan. 3 (Sat) Time: 8:30 p.m.
@ Columbia, Mo.
TV: SEC/ESPN

GEORGIA
Jan. 6 (Tue) Time: 7 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: SEC/ESPN

TENNESSEE
Jan. 10 (Sat) Time: noon
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2

OKLAHOMA
Jan. 13 (Tue) Time: 9 p.m.
@ Norman, Okla.
TV: ESPN or ESPNU

VANDERBILT
Jan. 17 (Sat) Time: 2 p.m.
@ Nashville, Tenn.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU

LSU
Jan. 20 (Tue) Time: 7 p.m.
@ Gainesville
TV: ESPN2

AUBURN
Jan. 24 (Sat) Time: 4 or 4:30 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2

SOUTH CAROLINA
Jan. 28 (Wed) Time: 9 p.m.
@ Columbia, S.C.
TV: SEC/ESPN

ALABAMA
Feb. 1 (Sun) Time: 1 p.m.@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: ABC

TEXAS A&M
Feb. 7 (Sat) Time: 8:30 p.m.
@ College Station, Texas
TV: SEC/ESPN

GEORGIA
Feb. 11 (Wed) Time: 7 p.m.
@ Athens, Ga.
TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU

KENTUCKY
Feb. 14 (Sat) Time: 3 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla
TV: ABC

SOUTH CAROLINA
Feb. 17 (Tue) Time: 7 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: SEC/ESPN

OLE MISS
Feb. 21 (Sat) Time: noon
@ Oxford, Miss.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2

TEXAS
Feb. 25 (Wed) Time: 7 p.m.
@ Austin, Texas
TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU

ARKANSAS
Feb. 28 (Sat) Time: 8:30 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2

MISSISSIPPI STATE
March 3 (Tue) Time: 8 p.m.
@ Gainesville, Fla.
TV: SEC/ESPN

KENTUCKY
March 7 (Sat) Time: 4 p.m.
@ Lexington, Ky.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2

SEC TOURNAMENT
March 11-15
@Nashville, Tenn.