Florida Gators
Butler (NCAA Tournament)
Gators' Journey to Final Four Falls Short in Overtime Loss to Butler
Saturday, March 26, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
NEW ORLEANS – The shots that had gone in for much of the season finally stopped falling late in overtime for the Gators. This time, there would be no late three-point magic from Kenny Boynton or Erving Walker.
More importantly, there would be no cutting down the nets to celebrate a trip to the Final Four on Saturday at New Orleans Arena.
Florida's quest to reach its fifth Final Four in school history ended on Saturday with a 74-71 overtime loss to Butler in the Elite Eight.
As the Gators walked off the court for the final time this season, the Bulldogs celebrated becoming the first non-BCS school to make back-to-back Final Fours since UNLV accomplished the feat in 1990 and 1991.
The Gators (29-8) were seeking their first trip to the Final Four since winning a second consecutive national title in 2007, but a second-half comeback by a scrappy Butler team that wouldn't go down when it appeared the Gators were about to deliver a knockout blow with less than 10 minutes left in the game sent the Gators home.
Instead, Butler's Shelvin Mack was named Southeast Region MVP for his 27-point effort – including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:21 left in overtime – and the Bulldogs were the ones off to Houston.
The loss was a heartbreaking one for the Gators, whose three seniors on the frontcourt – Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and center Vernon Macklin – saw their careers end in dramatic fashion in a game that people on Twitter were calling an instant classic.
"It hurts right now,'' Parsons said. "But you know – it's what it was made out to be. It's everything I thought it was. I had a great career here. I loved every day. I loved the opportunity we had.
"Right now, it's disappointing because we fell short, and we wanted to be out there right now celebrating, and it just hurts to end this way. I've got a sick feeling in my stomach.''
The way the game was starting to go in the second half, the Gators appeared on the verge of fulfilling their goal of a return to the Final Four.
The Gators led by as many as 11 in the second half, taking a 51-40 lead on a jumper by Tyus with 9:26 remaining. The Bulldogs then started a 17-6 run at that point to tie the game at 57 on Mack's lay-up with 3:03 left in regulation.
During the run, the Gators struggled to come up with key stops and loose balls as physical Butler forwards Matt Howard and Khyle Marshall started to make their presence felt against Florida's frontcourt trio, which dominated much of the first half thanks to 15 points from Macklin.
Howard finished with 14 points and five rebounds and Marshall contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.
Still, despite Butler's comeback, the Gators had a chance to win in regulation. With the score tied 60-all, Florida had possession for the final 30 seconds but Walker's three-pointer bounced out and the Gators headed to overtime for the second consecutive game and sixth time this season.
Florida had won four of five overtime games this season, but it was Butler's turn on Saturday. The Bulldogs (27-9) were 0-3 in overtime games during the regular season.
"I thought the difference in the game was right around about the nine-minute mark, there were an enormous amount of loose balls that we did not come down with that they came down with,'' Gators coach Billy Donovan said. "We had two three-point shots that we blocked that were kind of floating in the air they came down with, and scored."
The overtime started with a back-and-forth sequence, the Gators taking their final lead (70-69) on Walker's three-pointer with 1:41 left. In the final moments of overtime and with Butler leading 72-71, Boynton missed a three-pointer with 18 seconds left. The Gators immediately fouled Mack and after he made two free throws, Florida's final chance to extend its season ended when Walker missed a three-pointer with eight seconds left.
Butler's Ronald Nored grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball up court where it was grabbed by Boynton, but he had no time other than to heave a one-handed flip toward the basket that didn't come close.
The Gators' season was finished, a season that featured a lot of twists and turns but ended with a team peaking at the right time.
"It's been a great run. I love my teammates,'' said Macklin, who finished with a career-high 25 points but was plagued by foul trouble when Butler made its comeback. "I'm sad to see it all end right now."
Donovan was, too.
"I thought Erving had a pretty good look at the end of the regulation and he's made big shots for us, and I would have probably have liked to have seen Kenny drive the ball when we were down by one,'' he said of the late shots that didn't fall. "I would have preferred that. But you know, he's another guy that's made some big shots for us."
In the locker room after the game, Donovan thanked the players for their effort and for the journey they took everyone on.
"When a group of guys decide to come together and try to become a team, like a real team, a lot of great things can be accomplished,'' Donovan said. "And what happens is when you go after trying to accomplish something, there is the threat, there is the other side that the losing is even more painful because you have so much vested in each other individually.''
