At the Buzzer: Texas Tech 69, Florida 66 (Instant Breakdown)

AT THE BUZZER
NCAA EAST REGION
No. 14 TEXAS TECH 69, FLORIDA 66

WHAT HAPPENED: Raiders senior guard Keenan Evans scored 22 points and freshman wing Zhaire Smith had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, as the third-seeded and 14th-ranked Red Raiders held off a furious rally by the sixth-seeded Gators for a win Saturday night in the NCAA East Region at raucous and rowdy American Airlines Center. Evans hit eight of 14 shots and went 3-for-4 from the 3-point line, including the go-ahead 3-ball with 2:31 to play to give Tech a lead that comeback-minded UF could not answer. Florida led 50-49 with 11 minutes to play when Tech, playing off the energy of an overwhelming home-court advantage, scored nine straight points over a 2:44 span to surge in front 58-50. The Gators, though, slowly chipped away at the lead and tied the game at 64 on a fastbreak layup by Egor Koulechov with 2:58 left. But on the ensuing Raiders possession, and with the shot clock winding down, Evans stepped into a hole in the UF zone and dropped his 3-pointer for a 67-64 lead. Florida had two chances to tie or cut the lead to one, but Jalen Hudson had a hard drive to the basket blocked and Koulechov was short on a 3 from the top of the key. The Gators, still down by three, forced a steal via a trap in the final 15 seconds, but both Koulechov and KeVaughn Allen missed desperation 3s for the tie. With the win, Texas Tech advanced to its first Sweet 16 since 2005.

WHAT IT MEANS: The end to a 2017-18 season in which Mike White became the first coach in UF history to take the Gators to two NCAA tournaments in his first three seasons. Florida had advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of its past five NCAA appearances, but that streak is over.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Farewell and thank you, "Cheez." In his final game in a UF uniform, senior point guard Chris Chiozza was hit with a fourth foul with 13 minutes remaining and had to be shuffled in and out down the stretch, as the Gators battled from their eight-point hole. His final stat line showed 11 points, three assists and three steals. As for his final career numbers? Chiozza will exit with 1,025 points and as the 54th UF player to surpass the 1,000-point milestone. There's also those 571 assists, which rank No. 1 in school history, plus 191 steals, which is fourth all time. He played 139 games (10th most) and never missed one.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators shot just 33 percent in the second half and went just 2-for-11 from the 3-point line -- versus 48 percent for the Red Raiders after the break -- and still had their chances in the final minutes.

UP NEXT: Florida (21-13) now heads into the offseason and will begin preparing for life after Chiozza, one of the most popular players in program history. The Gators will also say goodbye to Koulechov, who came for one season via Rice as a graduate transfer.

Gators Calendar

At the Buzzer: Texas Tech 69, Florida 66 (Instant Breakdown)

Players Mentioned

KeVaughn Allen

Egor Koulechov

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