FINAL: No. 13 Alabama 98, No. 24 Florida 93 (OT)

What Happened

Alabama guard Aaron Estrada put back a missed 3-point shot with seven seconds left and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. missed a game-tying 3-point attempt, as the 13th-ranked Crimson Tide came from 10 down in the second half and made the plays in overtime to defeat the 24th-ranked Gators 98-93 Wednesday night at Coleman Coliseum. The win was the third straight for the Crimson Tide and helped them pad their lead atop the Southeastern Conference standings. For the Gators, it was just the second loss in the last nine games, but the opposite outcome was there for the taking, as the Tide, armed with the No. 1-rated offense in the nation and the 11th-best 3-point shooting team, struggled from the arc for more than 30 minutes before getting hot when it matter most. Forward Grant Nelson led Bama with 22 points points and eight rebounds, while SEC Player of the Year candidate Mark Sears, though just one of six from the arc, totaled 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a very big steal late in the overtime. Estrada had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The Gators were led by Clayton, who poured in a game-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists over 40 minutes. Point guard Zyon Pullin had 17 points, six assists and four rebounds. Junior guard Will Richard had 17 points and sophomore center Micah Handlogten had 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. The Gators led 72-62 approaching eight minutes remaining and by nine with six minutes to go when the Tide ripped off a 10-point run that started with a 3 from backup forward Sam Walters (14 points, 4-for-7 from deep) and ended with a go-ahead 3 by Sears, his lone long one of the game. From there, the two teams went back and forth to the end of regulation, with both missing chances to take the lead in the final 15 seconds. In the overtime, Bama won the tip, scored right away, got a stop on defense and Estrada hit a 3. After an empty possession at Florida's end, Estrada drove for a floater and 92-85 advantage. UF got back within three and had possession when Sears stripped Clayton from behind in transition. UF got it down to one, 94-93, after a post-up bucket by freshman forward Alex Condon, leaving the Florida defense needing a stop. The Gators got the stop, with Nelson missing a 3, but Estrada was there for the offensive rebound and stickback with seven seconds left. Clayton's game-tying 3 bounced away to Sears, who finished the scoring with two free throws with 0.5 to go.

UF guard Will Richard (5) scores over Bama forward Grant Nelson during Wednesday night's action.

What it Means

That's eight losses in 10 Quadrant 1 games, per the NCAA Evaluation Tool, but losing to the No. 5 NET team on the road isn't going to do much damage to the Gators' postseason resume, assuming they take care of business in their upcoming games (read on).

In the Spotlight

Walters, the 6-foot-10 reserve, grew up an hour south of Gainesville and rooted for the Gators while playing at The Villages, the same school that produced former UF star Tre Mann. He came in averaging 4.6 points per game, but was needed because starting guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr., the team's second-best 3-point shooter, suffered a head injury in practice earlier this week. He answered the call, for sure.

Staggering Statistic

One of the best rebounding teams in the country, Florida was out-boarded 54-44, with the minus-10 disadvantage the worst for the Gators this season. Alabama also won the offensive glass, 21-17, against a Gators squad that came in ranked fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.

Up Next

Florida (18-8, 8-5), after back-to-back SEC road games, are back home for a pair, starting with Saturday afternoon's date against Vanderbilt (7-18, 2-10). The Commodores, who swept the Gators last season, sit next to last in the league standings and play late Wednesday at home against Georgia. UF will be back at Exactech Arena/O'Connell four days later (and a week from tonight) against last-place Missouri. Meanwhile, Alabama (19-7, 11-2) will continue its quest for a second consecutive SEC regular-season title Saturday with a big road date at 17th-ranked Kentucky.

Gators Calendar