Dailyn Swain scored 21 and surpassed 1,000 career points, but No. 7 Florida used a late surge to hand Texas an 84-71 loss at Moody Center.
Dailyn Swain delivered a milestone moment under the bright lights at Moody Center. Unfortunately for Texas, No. 7 Florida delivered the knockout punch.
Swain poured in a team-high 21 points Wednesday night and eclipsed 1,000 career points in the process, but the Longhorns couldn’t hold off the red-hot Gators in an 84-71 SEC loss before a sellout crowd of 11,313 in Austin.
The junior guard/forward reached the career 1,000-point mark on a put-back jumper early in the second half and now sits at 1,008 points in 91 games.
He did his part, knocking down 7-of-18 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line, while adding seven rebounds and three steals in a gritty 39-minute effort.
Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) traded punches with Florida (22-6, 13-2 SEC) most of the night. The game featured nine ties and nine lead changes, with the Longhorns holding the lead for more than 18 minutes.
At halftime, Texas carried a 39-36 advantage after shooting 50 percent from the floor.
Graduate guard Tramon Mark added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including three three-pointers, while Jordan Pope chipped in 14 points and Matas Vokietaitis contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
Texas also controlled the glass, winning the rebounding battle 30-29 and grabbing 14 offensive boards.
But the turning point came midway through the second half. After Pope’s layup gave Texas a 64-61 lead with 7:27 remaining, Florida responded with a crushing 14-1 run. Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar delivered timely threes, and the Gators’ defense stiffened at the rim.
Florida finished with 11 blocked shots - the most Texas has allowed this season - and held the Longhorns to a season-low two assists.
Texas briefly cut the deficit to eight, but Florida closed strong to seal the win and snap the Longhorns’ three-game streak against ranked opponents.
Now the focus shifts to Saturday’s Lone Star Showdown at Texas A&M. With NCAA Tournament positioning tightening and SEC play heating up, the margin for error is shrinking fast.