Florida Gators

WHAT HAPPENED: Senior guard KeVaughn Allen bombed a fall-away 3-point shot with 2.5 seconds left to tie the game, and the Gators used the biggest shot of their leading scorer's career to outscore the Rebels in overtime and get out of Exact Arena/O'Connell Center on Wednesday night with a huge Southeastern Conference victory. Freshman guard Noah Locke, who led the Gators with 22 points, hit two free throws with 11.2 seconds left to make it a two-possession game and give UF a rare close-game win this season, after having too many fall the other way. Both teams blew leads in the second half, with UF giving away a seven-point edge midway through the period and Mississippi surrendering a four-point lead with inside three minutes to go. The Rebels lead was 76-73 after two free throws by Breein Tyree (20 points, 4 rebounds), the league's No. 2 scorer, with 8.8 seconds left. Out of a timeout, the Gators got the ball to Allen, who dribbled into the right wing of the halfcourt, leaned back and launched for his big shot. In overtime, the teams swapped quick 3s, but the Gators scored seven straight to open a lead, then survived some loose possessions by making a couple plays and four free throws left to close the win. UF hit four of eight field-goal tries in OT and all four free throws, while limiting Mississippi to 3-for-10 overall and 1-for-6 from deep. Allen finished with 22 points and only made one 3 (it was a big one), plus all eight of his free throws. Locke scored 22, hitting seven of his 13 shots, including 6-for-11 from the 3-point line in a jaw-dropping 42 minutes. Freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard had 12 points, three rebounds, six assists, four steals and just two turnovers, as UF's backcourt scored the team's final 26 points. The Gators shot 49 percent for the game. Senior guard Terence Davis led Ole Miss with 26 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes. 
 
WHAT IT MEANS: UF has won three straight league games to move into a tie for fifth place in the standings, alongside Mississippi and Alabama. The Gators also won their first game in seven tries against a team ranked in the Top 40 of the NET, the first-year system that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will use to choose and seed its 68-team field in March. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: "Special K" was arguably the most aggressive, especially in the second half and overtime, than at any point in his UF career (and look at what happened), but the other "K," as in forward Keyontae Johnson was terrific scoring a career-best 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting in his career-high 34 minutes before fouling out. The Gators have won all three SEC games that he's started. The third freshmen in the starting lineup is starting to figure some things out. 

STAGGERING STATISTIC: Against a Florida defense that started the day ranked No. 9 in the nation in efficiency, the Rebels hit 59 percent of its second-half shots, and that was after starting the period my making 15 of their first 22 shots (68 percent). The fact UF, ultimately, was able to outscore one of the highest-scoring teams in the league suggests the team is capable of doing a little more offensively than it has to date. 

UP NEXT: Florida (12-8, 4-3) gets No. 7 Kentucky (17-3, 6-1) Saturday night at the O'Dome, marking the first time this season the Gators have played two straight SEC home games. UF has beaten UK three of the last four times, including each of the past two seasons at home, but these Wildcats look different than those last two. Kentucky has won eight straight, including Saturday night's home victory over No. 9 Kansas and Tuesday night's 87-52 obliteration of Vanderbilt on the road, a game the Cats led by 35 at halftime.