By Steve MeGargee, AP sports writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Florida ended its slump just in time to rescue its hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
Keyontae Johnson scored a career-high 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds Thursday as No. 8 seed Florida snapped a three-game skid by defeating No. 9 seed Arkansas 66-50 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
“It was a must win to get there,” said Florida’s KeVaughn Allen, who scored 17 points. “We were thinking win or go home.”
Florida’s victory boosted its postseason profile, but the Gators (18-14) can make an even bigger statement Friday by upsetting No. 9 LSU (26-5) in the SEC quarterfinals.
LSU is the No. 1 seed in this tournament. Florida won 82-77 at LSU on Feb. 20 but lost to the Tigers 79-78 at home on March 6, with both those games requiring overtime.
“I feel like we still have more to go,” Johnson said. “We still have to get more big wins to prove our point.”
Florida took the lead for good with just over 18 minutes remaining and stayed ahead thanks to its defense. Arkansas (17-15) failed to make a basket in the game’s final 7 minutes, 54 seconds.
“I feel like we could have got anything that we wanted,” said Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford, who led the Razorbacks with 15 points. “We couldn’t execute. We shot ourselves in the foot down the stretch.”
Arkansas and Florida entered the tournament heading in opposite directions, though only the slumping Gators had a realistic shot at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. At the start of the day, Florida was 33rd and Arkansas 63rd in the NET rankings, which have replaced the RPI as a criterion for the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Arkansas had followed up a six-game losing streak by winning its last three regular-season contests to go back above .500. Florida had won five straight in late February before ending the regular season with three consecutive losses.
Florida turned things around Thursday in part because leading scorer Allen broke out of his personal slump.
Allen had scored a total of 18 points in his last four regular-season games, but the graduate of North Little Rock (Arkansas) High School scored 17 points Thursday against his home-state school.
Florida was clinging to a 47-44 lead when Allen took a 3-point shot that bounced off the rim multiple times before falling through with 7:26 remaining. That 3-point shot started a 17-4 run that helped Florida seal the victory.
“He got a couple for him to go early, and you could see in his body language, his confidence level increased a little bit,” Florida coach Mike White said. “Down the stretch, we rode him.”
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas: The Razorbacks were unable to do anything against Florida’s defense again. Arkansas’ 50 points Thursday represented a season low. The Razorbacks’ lowest point total during the regular season came in a 57-51 loss to Florida on Jan. 9.
“Very disappointed in our performance,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. “(We’d) been playing some pretty good basketball. To come on this stage and not play as well we’ve been playing is kind of disappointing.”
Florida: Allen’s recovery from his late-season slump gives Florida plenty of reason for encouragement. The Gators’ hopes of beating LSU could depnd on whether second-leading scorer Noah Locke can bounce back after shooting 1 of 9 against Arkansas.
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
Johnson had gone scoreless in Florida’s regular-season victory at Arkansas. He had arguably the best performance of his career in the rematch.
His 20 points shattered his previous career high of 15, set three times during the regular season. His 12 rebounds were just one off his career high.
QUOTABLE
“Bottom line is they played a lot more aggressive than we did,” said Arkansas’ Isaiah Joe, who scored 12 points. “They wanted it a lot more.”
UP NEXT
Next up: The Gators face top seed LSU in the quarterfinal game Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
Arkansas awaits a possible NIT invitation.
| FLORIDA 66, ARKANSAS 50 |
|---|
| ARKANSAS (17-15) |
Gafford 6-9 3-5 15, Osabuohien 0-4 2-2 2, Harris 1-6 0-0 2, Sills 1-2 3-4 6, Joe 3-11 4-5 12, Bailey 1-1 0-0 2, Chaney 2-3 0-0 4, Jones 3-10 0-0 7. Totals 17-46 12-16 50.
| FLORIDA (18-14) |
|---|
Johnson 8-14 1-5 20, Hayes 3-4 2-3 8, Hudson 1-5 4-4 7, Nembhard 1-6 3-4 6, Allen 6-14 2-2 17, Bassett 1-1 4-4 6, Stokes 0-1 0-0 0, Okauru 0-1 0-0 0, Locke 1-9 0-0 2, Ballard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 16-22 66.
Halftime_Florida 30-28. 3-Point Goals_Arkansas 4-16 (Joe 2-9, Sills 1-1, Jones 1-3, Harris 0-1, Osabuohien 0-2), Florida 8-22 (Johnson 3-5, Allen 3-7, Nembhard 1-3, Hudson 1-4, Locke 0-3). Fouled Out_Sills. Rebounds_Arkansas 25 (Jones, Gafford 6), Florida 38 (Johnson 12). Assists_Arkansas 11 (Harris 5), Florida 11 (Nembhard 8). Total Fouls_Arkansas 21, Florida 18.
Coach got them to play the game he coaches. Arkansas only scored less than 55 twice all season, both games against the Gators. When they play defense at that level they are hard to beat! Go Gators….beat those cheating Tigers next!!
We are a very solid defensive team. If we can score 65, we can win a decent amount of games. Games like TCU, where we held them to 55, but scored 50….those type performances hurt us. Still behind the team and hope Allen can keep his hot hand a few more games.
I think Vandy got in at 19-15 the 2 years ago when we made our Elite 8 run, so is possible.
Stifling second half defense dispatches Rafterbunks. Onward and upward…
KJ is in good company with Donnell Harvey. Fortunately, he won’t have the opportunity to bolt to the NBA like Harvey. How good would the 2000-01 team have been with Harvey back for a second season?
Hopefully KJ can bring that effort consistently and Allen won’t disappear again after his usual torching of his home state team.
Well done, men! Go Gators!!!
DH left too early. Had chance to be next P. Ewing, but quickly flamed out with Knicks.
Agree. I think the rim is still rattling from that dunk near the end of the Sweet 16 game against Duke. Maybe it’s just my Orange and Blue glasses clouding my memory, but I seem to remember Battier being near tears, or at least shell-shocked, after that. Thought Harvey needed to stay in college to develop his offensive game beyond dunks and shots around the rim.
How about those blocks into the 6th or 7th rows? Too bad he fell for all the “diaper dandy” hype.
Unfortunately Mr. Harvey was an academic casualty and also a financial hardship so he took the only route available for him. He was an incredible defensive beast!
I always think of that. I loved that dude Harvey…he was a man child. What a run that 2000 tourney was…after Butler, it was pedal to the medal…can you go 10 deep!
I loved watching Harvey play, but I knew he wouldn’t have a long career at UF. I was in the Army when he played for UF, and I remember driving back to base from Gainesville one late Sunday night, and DH was at a gas station hitting on the cashier in the middle of nowhere in Georgia at 3am. It was finals week, and that’s when I knew he wouldn’t be back.
Yeah, that would seem to be a dead give-away. Hope he saved some of his NBA money. Maybe if he’d stayed another year and developed his offensive skills, he would’ve had a longer run the league.
Way to go Gators, way to go!!! And I hear a disco song playing in the background, ”Staying alive, staying alive, ah, ah, ah, ah, STAYING ALIVE!” Had to be there…. Go Gators!
Awesome win! My suggestion on beating L$U? Keep some change in your pockets, and as you are running down the court it will spill out, causing L$U’s players to drop to their knees grubbing for money just like they did when they were getting recruited!
Funny!
MAN, we are literally the textbook definition of “on the bubble,” right?! Beat LSU, we are in for sure, but lose that game … ??? Are we in or out? It will be pins and needles during the Selection Show. Some experts say one win in the SEC tournament would put us at least in the “First Four.” But others say we need two wins.
I personally think we are in with this Arkansas when but beating LSU will definitely cement it.
According to most that keep up with the bubble, the Gators are now in. Another win or 2 might improve the seeding a line or so though. Go Gators
Gonzaga losing WCC championship to St. Mary’s didn’t help. Root against any further conference championship upsets.
Let’s beat L$U and remove all the bubble talk. I cant imagine their focus has been great preparing. If we can handle the first few minutes, the better prepared team should win.
Great win by the Gators today. Funny how the wins don’t seem to bring out the posters like the losses do. If KJ continues to play like that, there’ll be a lot less to criticize.
The absence of CMW criticism is refreshing . A terrifically well-coached game, that 2nd half TO CMW called when the Pigs pulled their pork to within three, 47-44? The Boys closed 19-6 AND held Arky to just 22 points in the 2nd half. Let’s knock LSU out of The Lead. If they are eliminated, much air time is eliminated from obsessive and redundant commentary.
Let get another win today and remove the bubble talk!!! Go Gators!!!
We played well enough to win. The first half was not that great but we turned it on in the second. Allen finally showed up again and we played great defense. If Allen and Hudson can play a few games together we have a chance against most teams. I still think our offense is based off of the three if they don’t go in we are pretty much toast. Let’s go and play LSU like we have the last two times. They are not as focused because of their pay for play scandal going on. Go Gators!
This team needs tWo of it’s players to have big games to win. Either that or all it’s pieces to contribute, which doesn’t seem to happen often. I think UF has the motivation edge in this game. GOOOO GATORS!!!