Florida’s second trip to Nashville, Tennessee in as many weekends lasted just one game.
The No. 2 seed Gators (24-8, 14-4 SEC) went cold from the field against the No. 7 seed Commodores (19-14, 10-8 SEC) on Friday night, as Florida fell to Vanderbilt in overtime 72-62 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Bridgestone Arena.
Florida has now lost three of its past four games heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Gators are 0-5 now under Mike White against Vanderbilt, with three losses to the Commodores this season, as Vandy is the only SEC team that UF hasn’t beaten under White’s tenure.
Instant Analysis now takes a closer look at Florida’s loss.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: Florida managed to tie the game up at 57-57 with 1:37 left in regulation, after Devin Robinson and KeVaughn Allen each knocked down threes to give the Gators some life.
Then, after Florida and Vanderbilt traded missed buckets, the Gators found themselves with the ball coming out of a timeout with 38.4 seconds left. Robinson then drew a foul and went to the free throw line, but he went just 1-of-2 on his attempts.
On the other end, Luke Kornet missed a three-point shot, but Jeff Roberson corralled the offensive rebound and drew a foul on Allen. He, too, went just 1-of-2 at the charity stripe, tying up the game at 58-58 with 9.7 seconds left and Florida possession.
However, Kasey Hill couldn’t get the job done. Driving down the floor, Hill’s layup was no good – and while Kevarrius Hayes came up with a board, his putback attempt was blocked. Vanderbilt secured the rebound, and both teams went to overtime.
In extra time, Vanderbilt jumped out to a 63-58 lead after Riley LaChance hit a jumper and Nolan Cressler knocked down a corner three. Justin Leon was then called for an illegal screen, and then Robinson fouled Joe Toye on the other end as the Commodores guard converted on both of his free throws. Hill would draw a foul on the other end, going 1-of-2 from the line.
LaChance would then lift Vanderbilt’s lead to 68-59 with a three-point basket from the top of the key with 2:19 to go, and then Robinson would score a bucket to lift Vandy’s lead to 11.
The hole was too big for Florida to climb out of. Hill responded with a three, but Roberson would throw down an emphatic dunk on the ensuing possession to seal the deal.
HE STOLE THE SHOW: Nobody on the Gators roster shot particularly well or efficiently Friday night, but Allen kept Florida in the game with his 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting (4-of-11 from three). He hit some timely shots, including a three-point basket late in regulation the tie the game up at 57-57.
On the other end, LaChance was the standout for Vandy, with 18 points thanks to 4-of-7 three-point shooting.
THESE STATS DON'T LIE: Florida shot just 34.4% from the floor Friday, including a 6-of-23 (26.1%) clip from downtown. On the flipside, Vanderbilt shot 11-of-27 (40.7%) from three-point range on 42.9% shooting on the night. The Commodores’ bench outscored the Gators’ 19-13, while Vandy logged 12 assists on 24 buckets to Florida’s seven on 22.
WHAT A PLAY: Devin Robinson notched an impressive and-one play with 12:06 left in the first half. After guard Chris Chiozza found Robinson down the right baseline, Robinson went up high for a dunk attempt but was fouled. However, his shot banked in, as he helped the Gators to a 13-8 lead. Robinson would miss the ensuing free throw.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Florida needed at least one win in the SEC Tournament to feel good about potentially locking up a top-four seed – and opening in Orlando. Now, the Gators will wait anxiously on Sunday to see where they will play the first round and whether they’ll be a No. 4 or No. 5 seed.
As far as Vanderbilt, Scott Drew’s squad just seems to have Florida’s number. Mike White’s group was cold from the field throughout much of the contest, struggled to protect the paint (a task not easy now without John Egbunu) and showed some jitters at times. The Gators, losing three of their past four, will need to regroup and bounce back to begin the Big Dance on the right footing.
The loss of Egbunu as well cannot be understated. The Gators have gone 3-3 over the past six games since the starting center suffered a torn ACL at Auburn. Before he the past six games, Florida was 21-5.
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