At the Buzzer: Arkansas 80, Florida 72 (Instant Breakdown)

AT THE BUZZER
ARKANSAS 80, No. 23 FLORIDA 72

WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators team that looked so good in winning the final three games of the regular season wasn't the ones that showed up for quarterfinal play of the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday night in St. Louis. The Razorbacks, instead, looked like the rested team that had a two-day bye, as guard Jaylen Barford attacked and shot over the Gators for 27 points, while 6-foot-11 center Daniel Gafford seized on his size advantage in tallying 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting, 12 rebounds and a windmill run-out dunk that sent the pro-Hogs crowd at Scottrade Center into a tizzy in the final seconds. Arkansas trailed by seven with less than five minutes to go in the first half, but went on a run of eight straight points to go into the locker room with the lead, then confidently built on the momentum the rest of the game. The score was tied at 46 when the Hogs took off on a 16-2 run, with Barford scoring half, that opened up a 14-point lead with less than six minutes to go. Arkansas shot 47 percent for the game, but 54 percent in the second half, compared to just 40 percent for Florida after the break. The Gators were led by redshirt sophomore forward Keith Stone's 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting, plus senior point guard Chris Chiozza's 16 points and six assists.

WHAT IT MEANS: That's now four straight years UF has failed to reach the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Gators also had their feel-good three-game winning streak snapped at a time they were (presumably) playing their best basketball. Now, UF will sit and wait for the NCAA Tournament selection committee to decide its fate. The Gators are "in," no doubt about that. It's just a matter of seed and venue. The Hogs, meanwhile, snapped an eight-game losing skid in the series and defeated the Gators for just the second time over the previous 15 meetings.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Barford, one of the toughest covers in the SEC, put on another scoring show. The first-team All-SEC selection, did damage from all three levels, going 9-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-9 from the 3-point line. UF won the regular-season meeting 88-73, but Barford did a number on the Gators them as well, on his way to 28 points. All he did that night was go 10-for-15 overall, 5-for-6 from deep. Barford is a senior, so that's a good thing for the Gators.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: Guard Jalen Hudson, who scored 27 points in a win at Alabama and 22 in the regular-season finale against Kentucky, finished with just six, and half of them came with five seconds left in the game. Hudson, UF's scoring leader at 15.6 per game, got two fouls in just 10 first-half minutes and never found his rhythm.

UP NEXT: The consolation prize for the Gators (20-12) will be a trip to one of the following eight NCAA Tournament sites: Boise, Idaho; Charlotte; Dallas; Detroit; Nashville, Tenn.; Pittsburgh; San Diego; Wichita, Kan.

Gators Calendar

At the Buzzer: Arkansas 80, Florida 72 (Instant Breakdown)

Players Mentioned

Chris Chiozza

Jalen Hudson

Keith Stone

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