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Published Feb 20, 2019
Gators basketball upsets No. 13 LSU to keep NCAA dreams alive
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Jacquie Franciulli  •  1standTenFlorida
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Florida's NCAA Tournament dream is alive. Mike White's team secured an upset win on the road against No. 13 LSU on Wednesday - which means the Gators secured its fourth "Quadrant 1" win to its NET resume.

KeVaughn Allen led the charge for White. Allen, who went 0-for-3 in the first half, knocked down an early triple in the second half and then went on to shoot 6-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-7 from outside the arc, securing 21 points in the 82-77 overtime win for Florida.

This win was not easy. And it was a win that the Florida team from earlier in the year would have lost.

UF led the home side early, however, after a few cool spells, the Tigers were able to claw away the lead and eventually lead in the second half. The Gators continued to press on without melting down.

Both teams had a chance to win at regulation, however, Florida had a shot clock violation, while the Tigers missed on a desperation three.

In overtime, Allen nailed two back-to-back threes to claim a six point lead and the Gators never looked back from there.

Noah Locke's two free throws with 8.6 seconds left sealed the win for the Gators.

Florida finished with four players in double figures. In addition to Allen, senior guard Jalen Hudson finished with a season-high of 15 points, Locke added 15, and senior forward Kevarrius Hayes had 10.

UF also did well on the boards, considering LSU's height, with 36 rebounds compared to the Tigers' 38. Florida also did well inside the paint recording 34 points inside compared to LSU's 38.

Meanwhile defensively, UF was able to keep SEC leading scorer Tremont Waters quiet in regulation. Waters went 3-for-12 overall.

LSU finished the night with five in double figures: Skyler Mays led the way with 18, Naz Reid had 16, while, Waters, Kavell Bigby-Williams, and Marlon Taylor all scored ten points on the night.

Florida has now won three straight games and sits in sixth place in the SEC. The Gators will now return home to face Missouri on Saturday.

Tip off against the Tigers is set for 4 p.m.