Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications
At the Buzzer: LSU 79, Florida 78 -- Overtime (Instant Breakdown)
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
No. 10 LSU 79, FLORIDA 78
No. 10 LSU 79, FLORIDA 78
WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators failed to get off a game-winning shot attempt out of timeout with 7.2 seconds to work with and the No. 10 Tigers got out of Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center with a one-point overtime victory that put them one win from clinching no worse than a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title. The outcome came despite a blistering, season-high 33-point performance by fifth-year senior swingman Jalen Hudson, whose previous high game in 2018-19 was 17 points. Guard KeVaughn Allen, honored pregame along with Hudson and center Kevarrius Hayes on their O'Dome "Senior Night," had the ball in the corner with about three seconds left. Instead of shooting it, Allen tried to drive baseline and dribbled into LSU's enormous front line as the horn sounded to end a game the Gators really needed for their NCAA Tournament chances. Hudson finished 12-for-21 from the floor and 5-for-10 from the 3-point line, with 27 points coming after halftime. His 3-pointer from the corner with 6.2 seconds left in regulation gave the Gators a two-point lead, but the UF defense allowed LSU point guard Tremont Waters to take the inbound and dash end-to-end for a layup with 0.5 seconds left to send the game into overtime. UF trailed by five with three minutes to go in the extra period, but a posting layup by Andrew Nembhard and two free throws from Hayes pulled the Gators within 79-78 with 2:22 remaining. Neither team scored the rest of the way. LSU, which erased an eight-point deficit with less than six minutes to go in regulation, was led by Waters, who scored 19 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished six assists and had three steals. His 3-pointer just over a minute into overtime gave the Tigers that five-point lead they never relinquished. Reserve forward Emmitt Williams came off the bench to score 13 points and grab 14 rebounds, part of a LSU frontcourt onslaught that had the Tigers with a 46-36 rebounding edge and 44-26 scoring margin in the paint. Freshman forward Keyontae Johnson had 15 points for the Gators, while Hayes chipped in eight points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Allen, in addition to the final sequence, had another tough offensive night, going 1-for-6 for four points in 40 minutes and did not attempt a shot in the second half or overtime.
WHAT IT MEANS: This one only compounded the last one. The loss Saturday to cellar-dwelling Georgia could very well be the one that ultimately keeps the Gators out of the NCAA Tournament, as UF now has a two-game losing streak, a monumentally difficult season finale on the road Saturday (see below), and as a middle-of-the-pack SEC Tournament seed a likely first game next week in Nashville against a hungry NCAA Tournament-bound or bubble opponent. The Gators, stuck on 17 wins, have a decent NET number and strength of schedule, but they probably need an 18th win somewhere. Maybe even 19.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Hudson stole "Senior Night" for the Gators, but despite scoring -- get this -- 27 of UF's 30 points during one red-hot stretch -- the storybook ending wasn't to be. What an incredible O'Dome swan-song performance for a kid who had an incredibly difficult final collegiate season.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The last time Florida played overtime games against two opponents in the same season was in 2000 against Tennessee. The Gators lost both of those, 81-79 in two OTs in Gainesville, and 76-73 at Knoxville.
UP NEXT: Florida (17-13, 9-8) will wrap the regular season on the road Saturday against sixth-ranked Kentucky (25-5, 14-3). The Wildcats, who defeated Ole Miss on the road Tuesday, will go into the game with a chance to win a share of the SEC regular-season title, pending whether Tennessee can win on the road at Auburn (the Volunteers can, but tough game) and LSU can beat Vanderbilt at home (yes, the Tigers will).
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