Florida Gators
Arkansas
Men's Basketball Captures Third-Consecutive SEC Tournament Crown
Sunday, March 11, 2007 | Men's Basketball
For all those who thought Florida looked vulnerable at the end of the regular season, the Gators sent an emphatic message in the Southeastern Conference tournament: The defending national champions are doing just fine.
The sixth-ranked Gators finished off a run of three victories in three days, beating Arkansas 77-56 on Sunday to claim their third straight SEC tournament championship.
Again, it was a team effort by Florida (29-5), as the Gators ripped through their opponents with an average winning margin of 19.7 points. Up front, junior Al Horford (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Junior forward Joakim Noah (New York, N.Y.) had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. On the perimeter, junior guard Taurean Green (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and senior guard Lee Humphrey (Maryville, Tenn.) each made a couple of 3-pointers. Junior forward Corey Brewer (Portland, Tenn.), chipped in with nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) and senior forward Chris Richard (Lakeland, Fla.) combined for 17 points off the bench.
Florida got off to a 17-0 lead over Georgia in the quarterfinals and jumped out 13-2 on Ole Miss in the semis. Arkansas, however, kept the margin in single digits throughout the first half.
The Gators started to increase their lead just before halftime. Hodge made a couple of free throws, Arkansas freshman Patrick Beverley missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Florida trotted off to the locker room with a 36-28 lead, its biggest of the period.
The Gators led by as many as 28 and, fittingly, swept four of the five spots on the All-SEC tournament team. Sonny Weems, who scored 15 points, was the only non-Florida player on the team. Michael Washington led the Razorbacks with 17.
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