At the Buzzer: Florida 69, Alabama 61 (Instant Analysis)
Thursday, March 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 69, ALABAMA 61
WHAT HAPPENED: At Nashville, Tenn., junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while junior guard Eli Carter added 11 and sophomore forward Devin Robinson another 10 off the bench to lead the Gators past the Crimson Tide in second-round play of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The game was tied early in the second half, but Finney-Smith and Robinson were key in a 16-7 run that gave the Gators a cushion they were able to pad and finish off despite going 9-for-29 from the 3-point line.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF, at least for a day, pulled back to .500 for the season and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. The reward is another date with a certain team -- you may have heard -- in "pursuit of perfection." More on that below. The Gators also ran their winning streak against the Tide to 11 straight, dating to the 2009 season.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Finney-Smith's double-double was his third in five games and his second in the four games since returning from a three-game suspension for violating team rules. He did it inside and outside also, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Of his 11 rebounds, six came on the offensive end (double Alabama's three offensive boards), helping UF to a 14-4 edge in second-chance points. Junior guard Michael Frazier II struggled in his second game back after missing seven with a high-ankle sprain. He was just 1-for-10 from the floor and 1-for-8 from 3-point range for five points. He did hit two free throws and is now 35-for-36 (97.2 percent) against SEC opponents from the line.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Florida got 22 points from its bench. Alabama got zero. Besides Robinson's 11, junior forward Alex Murphy added seven.
UP NEXT: Florida (16-16) gets a third crack at top-ranked and top-seeded Kentucky (31-0) in the tournament quarterfinals Friday at 1 p.m. The Wildcats defeated the Gators 68-61 Feb. 7 at Gainesville and 67-50 last Saturday at Lexington.
