At the Buzzer: Florida 72, South Carolina 68 (Instant Analysis)
Thursday, January 8, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 72, SOUTH CAROLINA 68
WHAT HAPPENED: At Columbia, S.C., Gators junior guard Eli Carter sank a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds left to hold off a late rally by the host Gamecocks in the Southeastern Conference opening game for both teams. Carter's free throws were a pair of eight straight by Florida in the final 43 seconds, a pretty significant development considering how the Gators had fared from the free-throw line lately (see below). UF, which trailed by six early in the second half, was led by junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith's 20 points and seven rebounds, plus junior guard Michael Frazier's 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the 3-point line. The Gamecocks came into the game on a seven-game winning streak and out to stop a seven-game skid against the Gators.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF, after all those frustrating losses in the final minutes, not only showed it could close out a game, but did it on the road in the league. That's a good start to the SEC season. Make that 22 straight SEC wins for Florida, which went undefeated in conference play last year.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Frazier did not start for the first time in 46 games, a run that dated to Nov. 29, 2013 against Florida State. Billy Donovan used the tactic to send a message to his shooting guard about his ability (or willingness) to move on from missed shots and negative plays; about thinking more about team-oriented results. Frazier responded by coming off the bench and scoring eight straight points early. He was engaged and really, really good. He also went 6-for-7 from the line.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Four days after making just eight of 20 free throws (40 percent) in a four-point home loss to Connecticut, the Gators were not just terrific at the line, but astounding in going 25-for-30 -- that's 83.3 percent -- for the game with some big ones late to finish things off. UF went 18-for-20 -- that's 90 percent -- in the second half. The Gators needed them too, 'cause the Gamecocks were 23-for-27 on their end from the line, including 16 of 17 in the second half.
UP NEXT: Florida (8-6, 1-0) plays its conference home opener Saturday night against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (7-6) started league play at home Wednesday night against Tennessee. Heading into that game, MSU had lost six of eight, but with a pair of wins against teams from the state of Florida: Jacksonville and Florida State.
