TAMPA, Fla. – You could feel the tension courtside. You could see it on the faces of the Florida and UCLA players. Neither team wanted to budge. And neither team did.
Instead, the smallest guy on the court made the loudest statement.
Florida junior guard Erving Walker – all 5-foot-8 of him – took over the final 1 minute, 14 seconds of Florida's 73-65 win over the Bruins on Saturday afternoon at the St. Pete Times Forum. Walker scored the game's final seven points to lift the Gators into the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in school history and first time since 2007.
Florida faces BYU, an 89-67 winner over Gonzaga on Saturday night, in the Southeast Region semifinals next week. It will be a rematch from last season when BYU knocked the Gators out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in overtime.
To get there, Walker did most of the driving with Saturday's nip-and-tuck game against the Bruins hanging in the balance.
In a game in which neither team led by more than four points until under six minutes left, the Gators finally opened some breathing room on back-to-back three pointers from Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy, taking a 61-55 lead on Murphy's three-pointer with 5:49 left.
A block by Chandler Parsons on UCLA's 325-pound center Joshua Smith prompted the surge, immediately leading to Boynton's 3.
"That was clearly a game-changer,'' said Gators senior Vernon Macklin.
But right when it looked as if the Gators were pulling away, the Bruins came right back, closing to within 66-65 on Smith's offensive rebound and put-back with 1:34 left.
Walker then delivered his bomb after a missed lay-up by Macklin, hitting a long three-pointer to put the Gators up 69-65. UCLA didn't score again as Walker sealed the Gators' win with four free throws in the final 32 seconds.
"It was a good look and I felt that would have been a good shot for me to take,'' said Walker, who looked back to see where UCLA's Malcolm Lee was before shooting. "I was able to knock down the shot.''
Walker finished with a game-high 21 points, hitting 5 of 8 shots – including 3-for-5 from three-point range – and making 8 of 10 free throws.
The shot also helped the Gators end UCLA's season for the third time in the past six years.
"The little guy played great for them down the stretch,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "Walker burned us with it."
Walker has had other moments like that this season – remember the 30-foot three-pointer in the first overtime in a win at Georgia? – but not on this kind of stage. Not against the most-storied program in college basketball history.
"UCLA was as good as any team we've played all year long,'' said Florida coach Billy Donovan, who is taking the Gators to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in his 15 seasons. "We were as tested by them as any team we've played. I'm happy these guys get a chance to play next week."
Florida (28-7) led 35-33 at the half, unable to break away despite shooting 56 percent (14 of 25). UCLA dominated the boards in the first half, outrebounding the Gators 20-10 overall and 9-0 on the offensive glass behind Smith.
Smith had more than 70 pounds on both Macklin and freshman Patric Young and at times flexed his weight around in the paint, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds – five offensive ones.
Young played a huge role in helping defend Smith when Macklin picked up two quick fouls in the first half. Young also made a point to challenge Smith and UCLA's defenders, coming out with intent to make an offensive statement of his own.
"I just wanted to come out and play aggressive," Young said. "I missed two shots I should have made, but I just wanted to go out there and show I could score.''
Ultimately, the Gators are moving on thanks to another typical team effort highlighted by another big shot by Walker, the smallest player in this year's NCAA Tournament to lead his team during the regular season.
Alex Tyus grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds to go along with 8 points. Macklin chipped in 10 points and Young eight points and four rebounds as they defended Smith. Boynton added 12 points and Parsons contributed seven points, five rebounds and five assists.
But in the end, Walker's shot is the one most people will remember.
"Erv is fearless,'' Parsons said. "He's got a knack for hitting big shots.''
Besides his three-pointer, Walker tossed up a circus shot over the 6-foot-10 Smith that gave the Gators a 63-58 lead. Walker said he hoped to draw Smith's fifth foul on the attempt, but the two points were just as important.
"That lay-up on Josh Smith kind of surprised me,'' Young said. "He was trying to get fouled by Josh and get him out of the game. He threw something up and it went in.''
Better yet, it helped the Gators win one of their most difficult games of the season.
"It was an emotional game,'' Macklin said. "I just couldn't see what it would be like going home and knowing that was my last game. We definitely didn't want to go home.''
They are on their way to New Orleans instead.
