Florida Gators
Tennessee
Men's Basketball Falls in Overtime Game Against Tennessee
Thursday, January 20, 2005 | Men's Basketball
The University of Florida men's basketball team rallied from a seven-point deficit with 2:56 remaining in regulation to force overtime, but wound up on the short end of an 83-76 decision against the University of Tennessee on Wednesday night. The Vols outscored the Gators, 13-6, in overtime to take home their first win in the last four meetings at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. UT improved to 10-7 overall and 3-2 in the SEC, while Florida (11-4) suffered its first league loss to drop to 3-1 in conference play.
The two teams went neck-in-neck the entire contest as each battled for the advantage. In the first half alone, the lead changed 13 times and was tied by the team three times as the Gators and Vols inched their way toward the game's upper hand.
Junior Matt Walsh was back for Florida, after missing four games with a sprained ankle. Walsh rallied in the first half to score six points (two treys) and dished out two assists for UF in his 10 minutes of action. UF went on to earn the largest lead of the half by putting together a 6-0 run against Tennessee, putting Florida five points over the Vols, 17-12, with under nine minutes remaining in the half. The Gators also held UT from the three-point arc for the first 15 minutes of game time. UF went into the locker room up one, 30-29.
After the break, fans enjoyed a three-point shoot-out as the first nine points of the half were Vol and Gator threes. Junior Anthony Roberson scored two baskets and a trey to take the Gators up two points early in the second half. Roberson went on in the contest to score the most Florida points, pouring in 26, 15 of which were from beyond the arc. But with eight minutes remaining in the game, Florida was faced with a 10-point deficit as Tennessee went on an 8-0 run. Again, Roberson pumped up the team, scoring eight points and assisting a Taurean Green three-pointer, as he brought the Gators within four points with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
With the clock winding down, the Gators found themselves within one point of tying the game as Green snatched the ball from UT's C.J. Watson, was fouled and nailed his two free throws. Florida then found themselves down by three as Tennessee's leading scorer, Scooter McFadgon, made both free throws. With only nine seconds on the clock, freshman Corey Brewer dished the ball out to Roberson who was waiting on the three, and the junior guard nailed the trey to tie the game at 70, taking the match up into overtime.
The extra five minutes enjoyed much of the same game that brought the two into overtime. The Vols nailed a trey to put them up three over Florida. With two minutes left in the contest, Brewer threw down a lay-up to tie the contest at 76. But it wasn't enough as Florida trailed the contest free throw by free throw until the time expired. The Vols took the game, 83-76.
Leading Florida on the boards with 13 apiece were senior David Lee and freshman Al Horford. Lee went on in the game to finish with a double-double by adding 11 points to the score. Horford added two blocks, two assists and a steal to his books as the forward ended with three points for Florida. Freshman Joakim Noah added nine points to the score, seven of which he gained in the first half. Noah also recorded two boards and one block.
The Gators will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 25 as Southeastern conference rival, the Georgia Bulldogs, enter the O'Connell Center for a 7 p.m. match up. The game will be carried by ESPN 2.
-UF-
