FINAL: Texas A&M 56, Florida 55
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
TEXAS A&M 56, FLORIDA 55
TEXAS A&M 56, FLORIDA 55
WHAT HAPPENED: Backup guard Wade Taylor IV hit three free throws with 19.5 seconds to play for the lead and the Gators were unable to convert on their final possession in a one-point Southeastern Conference loss Tuesday night at Reed Arena. UF graduate guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr., who fouled Taylor on his 3-point attempt on the Aggies' decisive possession, was off on his 15-footer for the lead, with the ball caroming out of bounds beneath the Florida basket. Officials called it UF ball, but after reviewing the play determined it went out off of UF guard Niels Lane and awarded the possession to the Aggies with 0.8 seconds remaining. Their inbound toss to halfcourt ended the game. A&M, which had lost eight straight, trailed by four, 55-51, after Fleming nailed a 3 with 1:38 to play, but scored the game's final five points. Guard Quentin Jackson (16 points) drove for an easy layup with 1:27 to go, after which the two team's swapped misses before the Aggies had their go-ahead possession -- in between two A&M timeouts -- even after the Gators forced a miss, grabbed the rebound, only to lose the ball to the possession arrow as a couple Aggies tied up UF's Myreon Jones. Florida's Colin Castleton had 15 points and 15 rebounds to help lead a comeback from a 13-point deficit in the first half and 12 in the second before a 15-2 run gave the Gators their first lead since the score was 4-2. It would have been quite the rally, but A&M made the plays down the stretch to retake the lead and close out the victory. UF shot a season-low 28.8 percent and made just seven of 30 from the 3-point line against one of the more aggressive defenses in the SEC. The Aggies made 33.9 percent and just two of 18 from deep, but went a perfect (and clutch late) 16-for-16 from the free-throw line.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Lane finished with six points, five rebounds and three assists over 21 minutes. His plus-minus was a sterling plus-11. He stayed on the floor for final 11:02 of the game, while the trio of fifth-year senior forward Anthony Duruji (who left with 16:44 to play), junior forward CJ Felder (11:02 to play) and grad-transfer guard Brandon McKissic (8:34) watched from the sidelines for the remainder of the game.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Well, that 16-for-16 from the line jumps out. Especially considering the Aggies came into the game at 66.2 percent for the season.
UP NEXT: Florida (16-10, 6-7) is back for the first of two consecutive home games against ranked opponents. First comes Saturday afternoon's visit for No. 2 Auburn (23-2, 11-1), which plays Wednesday night at home against Vanderbilt. The Tigers defeated the Gators 85-73 on Jan. 8 at Auburn, then ascended to No. 1 before losing last week at Arkansas. And speaking of the Razorbacks, currently ranked 23rd, they'll follow the Tigers to Gainesville for a game next Tuesday night.
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