At the Buzzer: Florida 74, Ohio State 66

AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 74, OHIO STATE 66

WHAT HAPPENED: Just like in Jacksonville last week, the Gators did a wire-to-wire number on their National Invitational Tournament opponent on its home floor, jumping on the Buckeyes early, holding them off in the middle and putting them away late. Junior point guard Kasey Hill continued his late-season tear, scoring 15 points, dishing five assists and adding a pair of steals. Senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith rang up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while also hitting four free throws in the final minute to take any drama out of Value City Arena. Freshman center Kevarrius Hayes, playing for the injured and out-for-the-season John Egbunu, scored a career-high 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the floor, plus grabbed three rebounds. Backup forward Justin Leon hopped off the bench for some big minutes, going for 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and seven rebounds. UF hit 10 of its first 17 field goals on the way to shooting 48.4 percent for the game, while limiting the Buckeyes to just 39 percent. OSU cut a 12-point first half lead to one at the break, but Florida opened the second half on a 10-2 run to retake command.

WHAT IT MEANS: On the Gators go (see below) into the finals of their bracket -- the Florida quadrant -- and one victory shy of advancing to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With the win, UF coach Mike White picked up his 21st victory and joined Tommy Bartlett as the winningest first-year coaches in school history. Bartlett went 21-4 during the 1966-67 season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: UF absolutely had to get some production from Hayes and the kid delivered in a big way. In addition to his career-best night in points, he bodied up and banged with OSU's formidable front court. What's more, the team's worst free-throw shooter at 41.5 percent coming into the game, Hayes went 4-for-4 from the line. The future is very, very bright for this young man.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators are shooting 46.7 percent in the NIT.

UP NEXT: UF (21-14) will face either George Washington (24-10) or Monmouth (28-7), who play Monday night at West Long Branch, N.J. The Gators, of course, will be on the road -- either in Washington, D.C., or Jersey -- due to the renovations to the O'Connell Center back in Gainesville.

Gators Calendar

At the Buzzer: Florida 74, Ohio State 66

Players Mentioned

John Egbunu

Dorian Finney-Smith

Kevarrius Hayes

Kasey Hill

Justin Leon

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