At the Buzzer : No. 7 Florida 111, No. 17 Gonzaga 105 -- 2OT (Instant Analysis)
Saturday, November 25, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators will play No. 1 Duke for a PK80 Invitational title after waging a double-overtime classic against the Bulldogs.
No. 7 FLORIDA 111, No. 17 GONZAGA 105 (2OT)
WHAT HAPPENED: Simply put, it was one of the greatest and most thrilling games in UF basketball history. Junior swingman Jalen Hudson scored a career-high 35 points, including 32 after halftime, and senior point guard Chris Chiozza poured in a career-high 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished 10 assists, as the seventh-ranked Gators emerged from an epic battle with No. 17 Gonzaga with a 111-105 victory in double-overtime at the PK80 Invitational before a pro-Zags crowd of better than 14,000. In a game that had the feel of a Sweet 16 matchup -- except for the overwhelming homecourt advantage for the team from Spokane, Wash. -- the two teams traded the lead 17 times, including 15 in the second half. Bulldogs guard Silas Melson scored and was fouled to tie the game at 98 with 1.5 seconds left, but missed the go-ahead free throw to send the game into a second extra period. In that one, Hudson hit a pair of 3-pointers, with Chiozza adding one of his own. KeVaughn Allen, who scored a season-best 23 points, hit two free throws (he was 11-for-11 from the line) with 16.2 seconds left that gave UF a seven-point margin and began sending the crowd for the exits, as the Gators stayed unbeaten through five games. Chiozza, who played 46 minutes, scored 14 of his points after regulation.
WHAT IT MEANS: A second win in as many nights here, but also surely a big one down the line when NCAA Tournament resumes are compiled. The Gators earned a date in the Motion bracket title game against a very, very good opponent. Read on.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Gonzaga forward Johnathan Williams, the 6-foot-9 fifth-year senior, was basically unstoppable in the low post, finishing with a career-high 39 points. A year after abusing the Gators to the tune of 8-for-9 from the floor in the AdvoCare Classic at ESPN's Wide World of Sports, Williams went 16 of 22 and grabbed 12 rebounds.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Florida forward Egor Koulechov came into the game hitting 49.2 percent of his field goals and 56 percent from the 3-point line. At halftime, he was 0-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-3 from deep, and without even a free throw, as the Gators trailed by seven. His sweet stroke of the first four games wasn't there Friday, and at 6-5, he struggled when driving to challenge the length of the Bulldogs low-post players. He finished just one for nine from the floor, with four points and nine rebounds. Thing about it? The Gators won without his offense.
UP NEXT: UF (5-0), like the rest of the tournament's 15 teams, is off Saturday, but will be back Sunday to take on No. 1 Duke (7-0) for the Motion bracket championship. Tipoff is tentatively scheduled for 10:30 p.m. EST. The Blue Devils got there be beating Portland State in first-round play Thursday, and were taken to overtime by Texas on Friday, before outlasting the Longhorns 85-78 behind 34 points from freshman Marvin Bagley III. Florida and Duke will play for the second time in as many seasons. The Blue Devils defeated the Gators 84-74 last Dec. 6 in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
