When they had a chance to tie the game, the Gators dribbled the ball out of bounds.
Then they missed a free throw to tie.
Then they missed a layup to take the lead.
And then they missed another free throw to lead with 6 seconds left in regulation.
But despite a complete lack of coherence on offense, Florida pulled out its first overtime win in five years, 80-76, against Georgia (11-6, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday.
With the help of 27 points from Canyon Barry, 27 free throws and 27 points off three-pointers, Florida (14-3, 5-0 SEC) remained undefeated in its renovated O’Connell Center.
Georgia held onto the lead for most of the game, stomping out UF scoring spurts but never leading by more than eight points.
“It’s definitely a heart-breaker,” Georgia guard Juwan Parker said. “There are no moral victories.”
Parker and senior guard J.J. Frazier led the Bulldogs’ offense with a combined 42 points.
“There was a lot of opportunities to seize the moment. We just didn’t,” Frazier said. “I missed a free throw, they missed a free throw, and we didn’t rebound the ball, and I had a shot to win the game,” he said.
If the game hadn’t gone to overtime, it would’ve made for Florida’s lowest-scoring performance of the season.
The Gators’ bench saved UF, outscoring Georgia’s 51 to 5.
Florida’s sixth man, Canyon Barry, made his first five three-pointers, including two four-point plays.
And redshirt freshman Keith Stone was the Robin to Barry’s Batman.
Stone notched a career-high 17 points and made three of four three-pointers, including one to give UF a lead in overtime.
"I was wide open so coach said knock it down,” Stone said.
Barry said the Gators struggled to get into a flow on offense.
“We didn't really come out the first half the way we wanted to,” Barry said. “Defensively, we gave them a lot of easy looks with those two great players they have. We kind of let them get in a rhythm.”
For most of the game, Georgia was unbothered by Florida’s top-20 defense. The Bulldogs shot an efficient 48.3 percent from the field.
Georgia also controlled the paint, out-rebounding UF by nine despite an 11-board haul by UF center John Egbunu.
In a game that UF had multiple chances to lose, Gators coach Mike White said he was concerned going into the matchup.
“We had our worst practice yesterday in about a month,” White said.
Florida’s starters came out of the tunnel flat and made only eight of 28 shots on the game.
“Our energy level, I don’t think matched their energy level in the first five minutes. I thought they were more physical throughout the entire game,” White said.
“If we weren’t at home,” he added, “I think this would have been a tough one to win.”
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter at @MattB_727
UF guard Canyon Barry attempts a layup in Florida's 94-71 win over The University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Dec. 21 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
