At the Buzzer: Florida 77, Missouri 75 (Instant Breakdown)
Saturday, January 6, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The Gators extended their winning streak to five games, but how?
FLORIDA 77, MISSOURI 75
WHAT HAPPENED: Senior point guard Chris Chiozza stole a pass at the top of the key and went the length of the floor to make an uncontested layup with .01 on the clock to give the Gators a breathtaking -- if not ridiculous -- come-from-behind road win over the Tigers before a stunned-and-bummed crowd at Mizzou Arena. UF trailed by 10 with 10 minutes to go, and and by five with three minutes left when junior guard Jalen Hudson scored seven points down the stretch to the Tigers' two, including two free throws to tie the game with 22.3 seconds left. Missouri in-bounded the ball, took it to halfcourt and called timeout with 17.2 seconds left. Out of the huddle, the Tigers let guard Jordan Geist dribble the clock down to about five seconds, when he threw a pass for guard Kassius Robertson on the left side, middle of the floor. Chiozza hit the passing lane and easily scored just before the final buzzer, as the Florida bench erupted. The win kept UF unbeaten in early Southeastern Conference play. The Gators had five guys in double figures, led by Hudson's 16 and 15 from forward Egor Koulechov. Missouri forward Jordan Barnett led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, as the Tigers hit 11 fo 19 shots from the 3-point line, but not over the final 11 minutes.
WHAT IT MEANS: Three wins in the first three SEC games, including two on the road; one by blowout, and now this. Don't expect UF coach Mike White to say (or even believe) the team's issues from a few weeks ago have been solved, but the Gators have done a nice job redirecting their season at the start of conference play. Florida, for now, is the only SEC team to be unbeaten through its first three games.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Hmmmm ... guess I'll go with Chiozza. He didn't score in the first half, but finished with 13 points, six assists and one very big steal.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Down 75-70 with 1:11 remaining, Florida outscored Missouri 7-0 the rest of the way.
UP NEXT: The Gators (11-3, 3-0) are back home Wednesday night to face Mississippi State (13-2, 1-1), which lost 64-58 at rival Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs are off to their best start in years, a jump that includes an upset of Arkansas in their SEC opener earlier in the week.
