At the Buzzer: Georgetown 66, Florida 65 in OT (Instant Analysis)
Thursday, November 27, 2014 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
GEORGETOWN 66, FLORIDA 65 (OT)
WHAT HAPPENED: D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera hit a 20-foot desperation jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining to give the Hoyas a dramatic victory over the Gators in opening-round play of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. The play came just eight seconds after UF point guard Kasey Hill converted an acrobatic 3-point play to give UF a one-point lead. The Hoyas (4-0), out of a timeout, inbounded and Smith-Rivera got the ball near the top of the key and let it fly. It fell, and so did the Gators fell.
WHAT IT MEANS: Loser's bracket for Florida and another late game -- Thanksgiving night, no less -- that won't be easy to find on television.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Eli Carter returned to action for the Gators after missing games due to injuries. Finney-Smith, out two games with two fractured bones in his left hand, was a huge spark and finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Carter, who missed one game with a foot sprain, scored six points on just 2-for-14 shooting, but he was a key factor on offense because his ability to drive the lane drew help from defenders and allowed teammates to crash the glass and get offensive rebounds.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Georgetown was just 3-for-13 from 3-point range, but shot 49.4 percent for the game because the Hoyas went 21-for-36 from inside the arc, including some easy driving layups and post-up shots.
UP NEXT: The Gators (2-2) fell into the tournament's loser bracket and will play Alabama-Birmingham (2-3) at 9:30 p.m. The Blazers were smashed by No. 3 Wisconsin 72-43 in the first game Wednesday night.
