You have to give this Arkansas team credit for not backing down or giving in.
But it cannot continue to play its way into double-digit deficits then decide to make a run and expend a great deal of energy clawing back, especially with a short-handed roster. That has now happened to the Razorbacks in consecutive games.
Arkansas was essentially down two players against the Gators, too, as sophomore forward Reggie Chaney played only five minutes and was passed over in favor of Jeantal Cylla and Ethan Henderson, who drew his first career start.
The Razorbacks simply ran out of gas against a much quicker, more athletic Florida team. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman spoke to his team's lack of lateral foot speed on the defensive end, noting that it is "painfully obvious" opponents have had the edge there since SEC play began.
Gators guard Andrew Nembhard virtually put the Razorbacks away with back-to-back dribble drives to the rim in the second half in which he blew by Arkansas defenders. His two scores fueled a 10-0 Florida run that extended the lead to 14 with less than four minutes remaining. Scottie Lewis, too, scored on a similar play in the closing minutes.
"We're going against some guys that are quicker than us," Musselman said in his postgame radio interview. "The quickness is a problem for us defensively every night. All we can do is talk about angles to our guys and try to get better. Keeping guys in front of us defensively is a major concern."
Keyontae Johnson, who scored a then-career high 20 points against the Razorbacks in the SEC Tournament last March, was a problem for Arkansas on Tuesday as well. He added 24 points, a career high, and 10 rebounds in the Gators' third consecutive win. He lived at the line, knocking down 15 of 17 attempts.
Johnson scored 16 points in the second half, and Nembhard chipped in 12 of his 17 after the break. Noah Locke, the SEC's top 3-point shooter entering the night, added 11 points. He drained three early 3s and helped Florida grab a 19-point first-half lead.
Florida shot 50 percent for the game, and the Razorbacks allowed 11 Gators layups and one dunk. Arkansas posted a defensive efficiency rating of 112.4, its third-worst mark of the season, according to KenPom analytics.
Offensively for the Razorbacks, it was a struggle, as it has been for a majority of Isaiah Joe's absence. Arkansas' offensive efficiency figure of 90.8 is its fourth-worst under Musselman. Junior guard Mason Jones and senior forward Adrio Bailey were practically the only players with a pulse on that end.
I can't stress this enough: Jones is a warrior. There is no quit in that kid. Although he has struggled for stretches with his emotions and efficiency with Joe out, he has handled it about as well as you could ask considering the load he is shouldering.
Jones scored a team-high 21 points, his seventh game with 20 or more in SEC play this season, at Florida and played all 40 minutes. He finished with five assists, too, his most in a game since the overtime loss to Auburn.
Bailey was terrific as well, scoring a season-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds, all in the first half. After falling behind by 19 points prior to halftime, the senior sparked the Razorbacks' 12-2 run to close the half with a 3-pointer, two dunks and a layup. He was lights out.
The energy Bailey brought to the floor during that stretch was contagious. All of a sudden, Arkansas had Florida on its heels on both ends of the floor and out of sorts. He also deserves an Oscar for drawing a technical foul on Locke early in the second half. The Jones free throws stemming from the tech pulled Arkansas within 36-33.
Bailey's 16 points are his most in a game since dropping 20 on UC-Davis in Nov. 2018. He also hit two 3s for the third consecutive game, and is 8 of 14 from 3 over the last five games.
Henderson also performed admirably in the loss. He fouled out in only 11 minutes, but there were some positives, including a one-minute stretch in which he added a pair of dunks to pull Arkansas within 42-40. He grabbed three rebounds and blocked as shot, too.
Cylla also played 11 minutes, which was curious. Chaney, who had started Arkansas' last seven games, was basically a nonfactor. Florida outscored the Razorbacks by seven points with him on the floor, though. In the second half, Chaney was sitting on the bench with his legs extended and one foot crossed over the other.
Not exactly sure what is going on there, but perhaps we'll get some clarity from Musselman later this week.
Speaking of invisible, Desi Sills. He missed all six of his shots and went scoreless for the first time in 34 games. Jimmy Whitt chipped in 10 points but was 4 of 10 from the floor. He is shooting 32.1 percent in his last five games.
Arkansas will again return to Bud Walton Arena for a Saturday game off of a tough road loss. The Razorbacks will look to snap their five-game losing streak in league play and exact a bit of revenge against Missouri. If Arkansas hopes to have any kind of shot at postseason play after this weekend, this is a must-win game - as they all are at this point when you are 16-10 overall and 4-9 in conference.
It will likely have to take care of business the remainder of the regular season then make some noise in Nashville, Tenn., at the SEC Tournament as well. Perhaps Joe will return to the lineup this weekend and provide a burst the Razorbacks have been missing of late.
Regardless, Arkansas has a lot of work to do, and the clock is ticking.