NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It might not be last year, but it still felt like being punched in the face.
Returning to Memorial Gym for the first time since former UF guard Brandon Powell hit a fan during a post-game bedlam last season, the Gators (19-7, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) dropped a tense 61-58 loss to No. 24 Vanderbilt (22-4, 7-4 SEC) in a game with its own share of dramatics.
UF finally played defense, fought off big runs and sank key shots, but in the end, a questionable call might have made all the difference.
With two minutes remaining, guard Nick Calathes made an and-one basket to tie the score at 53 and cap a 13-1 run that brought the Gators back to life after struggling to stay in the game.
As the UF bench erupted and a crowd of 14,325 collapsed into silence, junior Walter Hodge - the Gators' elder leader - bumped into Vanderbilt's A.J. Ogilvy, drawing a technical foul that changed the entire momentum.
"To call a technical foul for that, that's ridiculous," Hodge said. "That was a crazy-ass call. I showed some emotion. If you can't show emotion, what are you playing this game for?"
After a few possessions in which the teams exchanged free throws, Vanderbilt led the Gators 59-58, and with 24 seconds remaining, UF was poised to take a final shot to win the game.
Then, in a shaky freshman moment, Calathes committed a backcourt violation and the Gators were forced to foul. Vanderbilt guard Alex Gordon hit two more from the line, and trailing 61-58, UF called a timeout to ponder its final gasp.
"Seniors or not seniors," UF coach Billy Donovan said, "if you've played basketball a long time, I would hope you know where the half court (line) is."
UF got two decent looks at the basket, but misses by Calathes and Dan Werner sealed the defeat.
Werner, who was sporting a newly shaven head, said this loss hurt more than most.
"We feel like we had a chance to win," Werner said. "It was a good opportunity, and we let it slip through."
In the effort, the Gators were doomed by dismal shooting.
UF hit just 1 of 15 from beyond the arc and 39 percent overall.
Donovan, who could be heard berating his team from the hall outside the locker room, said he was proud of his team defensively and pleased with how hard they fought when their shots weren't falling.
UF held Vanderbilt, who is now 16-0 at home this season, to just 37.9 percent from the floor, including 8 of 27 from 3-point range.
"Our guys made a conscientious effort to rebound, defend and do the things that have been lacking," Donovan said. "Our guys made plays inside the game that gave us a chance to win."
In the hostile environment, Donovan remained animated throughout. For the second game in a row, the Gators dealt with a number of contested calls.
Donovan spoke afterward about his quarrels with the officiating, something he's tiptoed around in the past.
"It's hard to play 28 minutes of straight basketball and foul twice," he said. "I'll leave it at that."
The Gators went 0 for 7 from 3-point range in a stale first half, failing to hit a shot from beyond the arc in the opening period for the third time this season. The other two came against Arkansas and Georgia Southern.
Werner, who was just 4 of 11 from the field, hit UF's first and only 3-pointer with 18:25 remaining in the game.
Calathes, who scored 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting, had difficulty finding a rhythm in the game.
He may have been bothered by the crowd, who continuously booed him after an altercation with Vanderbilt's Alan Metcalfe.
Calathes wasn't available for comment after the game.
Gordon, who hit the final four free throws of the game for Vanderbilt, had his own reasons to be happy about the win.
"I'm from Florida," Gordon said. "So I just smiled."
