INDIANAPOLIS — The primary NCAA Match journey for Florida basketball since 2021 turned out to be a brief keep.
The No. 7 seed Florida Gators misplaced in heartbreaking trend, falling 102-100 to Colorado on a basket by Buffaloes level guard KJ Simpson with 2.4 seconds remaining.
The shot ended Florida basketball coach Todd Golden’s second season at 24-12. Golden dropped to 0-2 in NCAA Match video games.
Florida rallied again from a 13-point second-half deficit, tying the rating at 100 with 9.3 seconds left on a 22-foot 3-pointer by Walter Clayton Jr.
However Colorado coach Tad Boyle known as a timeout with 6.8 seconds left, organising a play from Simpson, whose baseline jumper rolled across the rim earlier than falling via the web.
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Clayton Jr. scored a team-high 33 factors, together with UF’s ultimate 16 factors, going 10 of 17 from the ground, 4 of 10 from 3-point vary and 9 of 10 from the foul line.
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Simpson led 5 Colorado scorers in double figures with 23 factors, with middle Eddie Lampkin including 21 factors.
Florida led by as many as 10 factors within the first half, going up 24-14 on a Kugel fastbreak dunk. However with Samuel on the bench with two fouls, Colorado stormed again, taking its first lead, 36-35, on a spinning layup by Lampkin with 3:34 left.
From there, Florida and Colorado traded baskets. A 3-pointer by UF sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen put Florida up 45-43 with 25 seconds remaining, however Simpson hit a turn-around jumper on the first-half buzzer, tying the rating at 45 at halftime.
The Gators shot 51.5% from the sphere within the first half and 50% (6-12) from 3-point vary.
Listed below are three takeaways from the UF loss:
Too many lapses for the Florida basketball protection
The Gators merely did not defend effectively sufficient in a high-level recreation, permitting Colorado to shoot 63% from the sphere and 60% from 3-point vary. Throughout one second-half stretch, Colorado made 16 baskets in 18 journeys.
Gators cannot survive middle Tyrese Samuel, Alex Condon foul hassle
Samuel picked up his second foul earlier than the eight-minute mark within the first half and his third foul earlier than the 15-minute mark within the second half. With out him on the ground for stretches, it was tougher for Florida to attain, defend and rebound within the paint. Condon, in his first profession begin, fouled out with 2:19 remaining on a questionable name going for a 50-50 ball close to the rim.
Colorado basketball takes benefit of foul imbalance on the free throw line
Colorado bought to the free-throw line 33 occasions, in comparison with 22 journeys for Florida.
Florida basketball coach Todd Golden, pissed off over a name towards freshman Alex Condon that originally wasn’t heard attributable to a damaged whistle, was whistled up for a technical. The Buffaloes made three straight free throws, extending their result in 82-72.