Florida's Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (24) fouls Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV (4) on a 3-point attempt, with Taylor's ensuing three free throws with 19.5 seconds left proving the difference in a 56-55 win Tuesday night for the Aggies.
Gators Let One Get Away at A&M
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — They were on the verge of getting blown out Tuesday night, or so it seemed, in both halves, but kept playing hard enough and doing enough to not only get themselves back in the game but be in control of the game. The fact were were position to steal a win on the road made it all the more frustrating for the Florida Gators with how they gave it away in the end, as Texas A&M flipped a late four-point deficit in the final 90 seconds into a 56-55 victory at Reed Arena.
Over the last 40 seconds, the Gators, leading by two, forced a rushed, late-clock shot, with senior guard Myreon Jones grabbing the rebound, only to lose it in a tie-up to the jump-ball possession arrow after falling to the floor. And then, in another late-clock moment almost 20 seconds later, UF graduate wing Phlandrous Fleming Jr. fouled Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV on a 3-point shot.
With 19.5 seconds left and his team down by two, Taylor dropped all three free throws for the lead.
At the other end, the Gators were slow getting into their attempt at a game-winning shot, with Fleming pulling up from the left side — a decent look, actually — but bouncing a 17-footer, with the ball going out of bounds underneath the UF basket amid a handful of hands. Officials initially ruled the possession to the Gators, but overturned the call upon review and gave the ball to the Aggies with 0.8 seconds to play.
A&M's inbounds pass to half court ended the game, ended an eight-game losing streak for the Aggies and handed the Gators (16-10, 6-7) a second straight loss while pushing their postseason hopes — as in a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth — closer to the brink.
"Really disheartening for our guys," UF coach Mike White said afterward. "As somber a locker room as I've been in in a while."
Niels Lane (44) and the Gators got back in the game, and eventually took the lead, because their defensive energy never let up.
What would have been a pretty good win, especially given the eyesore of a first-half on offense, became a gut-punch of a defeat.
Secure a rebound, they probably win the game.
Don't foul a 3-point shooter, they probably win the game.
"But it never should have come down to those things," sophomore guard Niels Lane said. "We didn't start playing until the second half."
Yes, the case could certainly be made the Gators lost the game the first 20 minutes when they shot just 21.9 percent from the floor and went 2-for-15 from the 3-point line. UF had just six points through the first 13 1/2 minutes and went nearly nine minutes without a field goal during one stretch in falling behind by 13 points before closing the margin to seven, 27-20, at halftime.
"Our guys were really hyped up coming in," White said. "We had a couple of really good practices and I thought our defense energy from the tip was outstanding, which led to some pressing, over-urgent decisions offensively."
Like 10 turnovers to go with 7-for-32 shooting, plus 2-for-15 from the 3-point line.
A&M (16-10, 5-8) still led by 11 nearly halfway through the second half before Florida's run of 16-2 run, including 11 straight and much of the damage done by forward Colin Castleton (15 points, 15 rebounds), put the Gators in the lead when Lane hit two free throws with 5:03 to go.
The Aggies went up again on a couple free throws Hassan Diarra and dunk by Ethan Henderson just inside three minutes remaining. That's when fifth-year senior point guard Tyree Appleby, who had missed all seven of his shots to that point, got a nice drive-and-kick pass from Lane and hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Gators back the lead. After a UF timeout and defensive stop, Fleming (9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) nailed another 3-ball with 1:38 left to give the visitors their biggest lead, 55-51, with 1:38 to play.
"We just settled in and were making better decisions with the basketball," White said. "It's like that sometimes."
ForwardColin Castleton went 5-for-10 from the floor, hit five of his free throws and finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds and two blociked shots.
The margin was a short-lived, however, what with Aggies guard Quentin Jackson (16 points) zipping through the UF defense for a short jumper that cut the lead to two with only 11 seconds coming off the clock. Fleming's miss at the one-minute mark got the ball back for A&M, which called a timeout with 53.2 seconds left, then after failing to get a good look called a second with 39.6 left, and just nine seconds on the shot clock.
Out of the stoppage, a jumper by Taylor careened to the left and into the chasing arms of Jones (10 points), who in grabbing the ball took a spill to the floor and was tied up, with the possession arrow favoring A&M with 39.6 seconds left. That put 20 more seconds on the shot clock.
Then came the Fleming foul with 19.5 to go.
"It was tough, unlucky. He was closing out really hard on a good shooter," Castleton said. "I don't remember if [Phlan] hit his leg or whatever, but I just know he fouled him."
Taylor and the Aggies came into the game shooting just 66.3 percent from the line as a team. They went 16-for-16 this game.
It's like that sometimes, too.
"We didn't lose the game because of one of those plays," White said. "There are 50 things we could've done better."
Those two just screamed loudest, came latest and will linger longest.