It was a finish more suited for March than January, but when South Carolina's Zam Fredrick delivered UF a buzzer-beating defeat Wednesday night, it felt like deja vu.
No. 24 UF (16-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) hoped to follow up another national ranking with a win, but in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a missed Chandler Parsons free throw and a blown defensive assignment left the Gators shaking their heads once again.
Three seconds of shock were followed by pandemonium in Columbia, S.C.
As fans attempted to storm the court, the distraught Gators were left in their white cinder block locker room, alone with their thoughts.
While dejected teammates sat behind a closed door, Nick Calathes composed himself and faced the media.
"They played better than us," Calathes said. "But we'll be ready (next time). We're going to work hard and keep getting better."
Calathes may have lost the game, but, perhaps, he won something more important.
He's long been the Gators' general on the court, but standing outside that locker room in a dimly lit hallway of the Colonial Life Arena, Calathes protected his men in a way he never had before.
"You come across certain guys who really, really love the game, and he loves the game," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "You know how important the game is to him. That's something I respect. He's meant a lot to our team."
The sickest man in South Carolina Wednesday was Dan Werner.
Werner, who Donovan often refers to as his best defensive player, took a false step in the game's final minutes that landed much of the blame squarely on his shoulders.
"(Fredrick) got behind Dan on the play. I thought Dan, obviously being an older guy back there, just put Alex (Tyus near the basket) and Dan back, and (Fredrick) just got behind Dan. That's what it boiled down to," Donovan said.
Neither Parsons nor Werner addressed the media following the game.
The Gators left 4 points on the court in the game's final 13 seconds because of missed free throws.
"I've never been a big believer in moral victories," Donovan said. "Do guys like Chandler and Nick stay late in the gym and take extra free throws, does Dan Werner provide the kind of leadership we need on the floor late in the game? That's what I'm anxious to see."
Now, UF will try to make sure one heartbreak doesn't lead to a second when they make the trip to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Vanderbilt (12-6, 1-3 SEC) Sunday on national television.
The Gators lost a gut-wrenching 61-58 game at Memorial Gym last season when Calathes committed a backcourt violation with 24 seconds to play.
"Had we won (Wednesday) night, it would have only gone down as one 'W.' We lost, and it's one game," Donovan said. "We have to rebound here."
