Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications
At the Buzzer: Florida 66, Arkansas 50 (Instant Breakdown)
Thursday, March 14, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
FLORIDA 66, ARKANSAS 50
FLORIDA 66, ARKANSAS 50
WHAT HAPPENED: Senior guard KeVaughn Allen came into the game in a nasty scoring slump, but the Arkansas native helped do in his home-state Razorbacks one last time by scoring 17 points Thursday and leading the Gators to victory in second-round play of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Over the previous three games (all losses), Allen was just 3-for-22 from the floor and 2-for-13 from the 3-point line for just 12 points. He had 10 points by halftime and went on to go six of 14 overall and three of seven from deep over 33 minutes. Freshman forward Keyontae Johnson, in his tournament debut, paced UF with a career-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. Johnson made eight of his 14 field-goal attempts, including three of five shots from the 3-point line. Allen and Johnson were the lone Gators to reach double-figure scoring, but freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard had six points, four rebounds, eight assists and just one turnover over 38 minutes. Senior center Kevarrius Hayes had eight points and seven boards over 32 minutes. Allen was quiet for the first 10 minutes of the game, but scored those 10 over the final 10 minutes of the period and tallied some timely buckets and free throws in the second half to help keep the Hogs at bay. UF only shot 39 percent in the second half, but made up for it by going 14-for-18 after the break from the free-throw line, punishing them 41-26 on the glass and unleashing a defense that held the Hogs to 25-percent shooting after intermission and no field goals over the last eight minutes. Forward Daniel Gafford had 15 points and six rebounds for Arkansas.
WHAT IT MEANS: That's 18 wins, a place in the tournament quarterfinals and a chance to further bolster the NCAA Tournament resume with another "Quadrant 1" opportunity coming Friday (maybe even beyond). The Gators began the day at No. 33 in the NET ranks, which was sixth-highest among league teams, and on the good side of just about every bracketology projection out there. This was a good day.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Johnson became the first UF freshman in 19 years to card a double-double in the SEC Tournament. Donnell Harvey did it against Ole Miss in 2000 with 11 points and 12 rebounds in an 89-67 win. Johnson was terrific on both ends, especially attacking the defense and crashing the glass against Gafford, one of the top big men in the country.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Arkansas sophomore guard Mason Jones grabbed a rebound and put it in the basket with 7:55 left in the game to pull the Razorbacks within three, at 47-44. The Hogs did not hit another field goal the rest of the game, missing their final eight shots. Arkansas came into the game average 76.3 points per game, but had that figure slashed by 26 points by one of the best defenses in the country. The 50 points was a season-low for the Hogs. The next lowest? That would be the 51 they scored in UF's win at Fayetteville back on Jan. 11.
UP NEXT: Florida (18-14) will play ninth-ranked, top-seeded and regular-season conference champion LSU (26-5) in Friday's quarterfinal round. The Gators and Tigers split two games during the season, with both teams winning on the road in overtime. UF beat LSU 82-77 at Baton Rouge on Feb. 20, while the Tigers won 79-78 at Gainesville just eight days ago. The Gators have not advanced past the tourney's quarterfinals since winning the event in 2014 on the way to the Final Four.
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